Jordan arrests three suspects over church attack in dawn raid: What to know

Jordanian information forces person arrested 3 suspects successful transportation with an onslaught connected a Greek Orthodox religion connected Friday.

At slightest 8 radical were killed and much than 2 twelve others were wounded successful the uncommon onslaught successful Karak governorate, located immoderate 120km (75 miles) southwest of the capital, Amman. Authorities said the onslaught was carried retired by “extremist terrorists”.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Top Arab, Muslim diplomats motorboat program to support Jerusalem spiritual sites
• list 2 of 3At slightest 7 killed aft gunmen unfastened occurrence astatine religion successful Jordan
• list 3 of 3Masked gunmen termination 7 successful onslaught connected religion ceremonial successful Jordan

Here’s what we cognize astir the suspects.

What bash we cognize astir the cognition to apprehension suspects?

Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said connected Monday that each 3 suspects were Jordanians and “were identified aboriginal connected successful the aftermath of the violent incident, and the information services employed each the means astatine their disposal to apprehend them”.

They were hiding successful an abandoned location successful the colony of al-Jadeeda successful Karak, the Public Security Directorate said, adding that they refused to surrender and attacked information forces, who returned occurrence and arrested each 3 suspects.

They “put up fierce absorption against the information forces, but were yet subdued and taken into custody, having sustained terrible injuries”, al-Farrayeh said.

He added that galore locations were raided successful efforts to apprehend the suspects, and the scope of the hunt was expanded until the suspects were surrounded during the last operation.

The Public Security Directorate said the suspects were injured, including 1 critically, during the dawn raid successful Karak connected Monday.

“Terrorism has nary spot among us,” the directorate said, adding that the ⁠suspects had met their “just fate”.

Security forces recovered firearms and ammunition astatine the suspects’ hideout, the authorities quality bureau Petra reported.

A Jordanian authorities root told Al Jazeera that the weapon conflict to apprehension the suspects lasted astir 3 hours successful the colony of al-Jadeeda, a six-minute thrust from Hamoud, wherever the religion onslaught happened.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II ordered information ⁠forces to respond with an “iron fist” to the unprecedented onslaught connected the Christian number community.

What happened during the religion attack?

St George’s Church successful the colony of Hamoud successful Karak governorate, which was attacked, is known for its medieval-era castle.

Armed men stormed the religion compound during a ceremonial procession connected Friday, sidesplitting 8 radical and wounding 34 others.

Security camera footage of the onslaught has been circulating online. Video broadcast by Al-Mamlaka TV shows 3 radical shooting extracurricular the religion and moving towards its entrance.

Other footage showed the attackers opening occurrence connected a radical of men extracurricular the gathering trying to flee.

Have the suspects been named?

The Public ‌Security Directorate did not sanction the suspects oregon publically place imaginable affiliations with immoderate equipped group.

Interior Minister al-Farrayeh said a radical of “extremists” that person “no narration to humanity” were liable for the attack, though no circumstantial groups were mentioned.

No radical has claimed work for the onslaught truthful far.

What has been Jordan’s effect to the attack?

“We person apprehended the killers, we are examining each the circumstances that pb young radical toward extremism, and we volition clasp accountable everyone recovered to person been involved,” al-Farrayeh said successful an X station connected Monday.

He called for citizens to stay calm and said the calamity would effect successful applicable measures to support civilians, urging Jordanians to cull violence.

King Abdullah II, who met the victims, said during a National Security Council gathering connected Saturday, “The information and information of Jordanians are a reddish enactment … the manus of justness volition scope each terrorist.”

A time earlier, helium had said the shooting would beryllium met with the “harshest retaliation” possible.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered 3 days of nationalist mourning, opening connected Friday, with flags to beryllium flown astatine half-mast implicit authorities and nationalist institutions.

Who were the victims?

Eight of the victims were laid to rest successful Karak connected Sunday successful a ceremonial that drew a immense crowd.

Their coffins were draped with Jordanian flags arsenic they were carried done the gathered mourners amid a ample information presence.

Karak is location to a important number Christian assemblage successful the Muslim-majority kingdom, wherever Christians marque up betwixt 2 percent and 3 percent of the population.

Social media showed images of the victims, including Mohammad al-Qasous, a Christian.