Jordan has taken action against armed militants involved in a recent church shooting. The country’s law enforcement arrested three suspects in connection with a violent incident during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox Church near Karak on October 23, as reported by the BBC. The Jordanian Air Force also targeted terrorist groups believed to be associated with the attack, according to a report from Reuters on Monday.
As of now, the Jordanian government has not provided a comment on these developments. In the attack, nine persons lost their lives, and 34 others sustained injuries, per the BBC.
Jordanian King Abdullah II expressed his outrage following the attack, stating that they would respond fiercely. He emphasized, “Those who think they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance,” insisting that every Jordanian life is valuable and that they would retaliate decisively against threats to their nation. This message was shared in an X post on October 23.
In related updates, King Abdullah reiterated on October 26 that the security forces would pursue the terrorists to ensure they face justice. He shared prayers for the deceased and well wishes for the injured, reflecting a determination to protect Jordan and its citizens.
The militants were discovered in an abandoned building south of Amman. They resisted arrest and opened fire on security forces, who responded in kind; fortunately, there were no reported fatalities from this skirmish, according to the BBC. The king commended the security forces for their relentless pursuit of the militants in a post on Monday.
The identities of the arrested gunmen have not been disclosed, although the attack is being treated as a terrorist event. So far, no organization has claimed responsibility for the shooting, as noted by the BBC.
The Jordanian Air Force carried out strikes against terrorist positions in Syria, asserting that these groups were linked to the church incident. There remains uncertainty regarding whether these actions were coordinated with the Syrian government, according to Reuters.
