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Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know

The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people.

 church on October 25, 2026 in Hmoud, Jordan. Nine people were killed and around 40 injured on October 23 after unidentified gunmen arrived during a funeral service at Saint George's Greek Orthodox church and opened fire. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)
Tight security measures taken during a funeral held for victims of a terrorist attack at a Greek Orthodox church on Oct. 25, 2026, in Hmoud, Jordan. — (Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)

Jordan arrested three suspects Monday in connection with a shooting at a church in Karak last week that killed nine people and wounded dozens. King Abdullah II described the attack as terrorism, as questions remain over whether the perpetrators had links to radical groups.

What happened: Speaking at a press conference Monday, Public Security Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Obeidallah Al-Maaytah said security personnel had tracked the three suspects to an abandoned house in the nearby area of al-Judayyda following an intensive search. When officers ordered them to surrender, the men opened fire, prompting security forces to return fire and wound all three before taking them into custody. The Public Security Directorate later released photographs showing the injured suspects. 

Maaytah said no security personnel were injured in the operation.

He said the three men belonged to the same family. Two were brothers, while the third was related to them by marriage. According to Maaytah, the attack did not appear to have been planned well in advance, although one of the brothers had taken the lead in organizing it.

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