JORDANIAN FORCES ARREST THREE MEN OVER KARAK CHURCH ATTACK

Jordanian security forces arrested three men on Monday over an attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people and wounded more than two dozen, the Public Security Directorate said. The directorate said officers captured the men after a dawn shootout in which all three were wounded. It reported no injuries among security personnel during the operation. The attack took place on Friday during a funeral at the church.

Karak lies south of Amman, Jordan’s capital, and has a minority Christian population. Three men were reported to have taken part in the attack. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya identified the arrested men as those responsible in a phone interview with state television channel Al-Mamlaka. “They put up fierce resistance against the security forces, but were ultimately subdued and taken into custody, having sustained severe injuries,” he said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and no armed group has been accused of carrying it out.

Al-Faraya said security services identified the three men shortly after Friday’s attack. He said they used all means at their disposal to apprehend them. King Abdullah II directed authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against people he called outlaws of Islam. He also directed them to act against anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people.