Jordan arrests three over church massacre that killed nine

Jordanian security forces have caught three people over the attack on a Greek Orthodox church that left nine dead and 25 wounded, state broadcaster Jordan TV reported Monday, according to Arab News. The suspects were wounded when they clashed with security forces during a joint operation by investigation and raid teams.

The violence broke out Friday when gunmen stormed the compound of St. George's Church in Hammoud, a village in Karak governorate, and fired on a funeral procession. Karak is home to a sizable Christian community in the Muslim-majority kingdom, where Christians make up between two and three percent of the population.

Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said in a post on X that the killers had been apprehended and that authorities were scrutinizing what pushes young people toward extremism. He promised that everyone found involved would be held accountable.

King Abdullah II drew a hard line. After meeting victims of the attack, he told a National Security Council meeting on Saturday that the safety of Jordanians is a red line and that the hand of justice would reach every terrorist. A day earlier, he said the shooting would bring the harshest retaliation.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan declared three days of national mourning starting Friday, with flags lowered to half-mast at government and public institutions. On Sunday, eight of the nine victims were buried beside the church in a funeral that drew huge crowds.

Their flag-draped coffins were carried past religious figures and a heavy security presence, images from AFP showed. The arrests cap a manhunt that gripped the kingdom. Investigators say the inquiry into the circumstances around the attack continues.