Jordan Arrests Three Men After Deadly Church Shooting at a Funeral

Jordanian security forces arrested three men on Monday over an attack on a Greek Orthodox church that killed nine people and wounded more than two dozen, ABC News reported. The Public Security Directorate said the suspects were taken in after a shootout in Karak, south of the capital, Amman, and that all three were wounded.

The shooting happened Friday during a funeral at St George’s church in the village of Hamoud. Thousands of people gathered on Sunday for the burials of eight victims, Al Jazeera reported.

What happened at the church?

Attackers opened fire during a funeral in Hamoud, in Karak province. Father Yohanna Hamati told AFP that about 170 to 200 people were at the church when shooting began outside. He said mourners at first struggled to understand what was going on before people ran inside to escape.

Sahar al-Halsa, who was caught up in the attack, told Reuters she sheltered behind a pillar as gunfire broke out. She said she later found her cousin Assem wounded outside, and that he opened his eyes briefly before he died. By Saturday, bullet holes were still visible in the walls and wooden pews, and windows had been shattered, Al Jazeera reported.

Who has been arrested?

The Public Security Directorate said three men were arrested in a dawn operation Monday after a shootout. No members of the security forces were hurt. ABC News reported that three men were said to have taken part in the attack.

Before the arrests, officials said they had not established whether the attackers were linked to an armed group, and no organization had claimed responsibility. Jordanian authorities have called the attack “extremist terrorism,” and King Abdullah, who visited some of the wounded in a hospital on Friday, promised a forceful response.

How is Jordan responding to the loss?

Coffins wrapped in Jordanian flags were carried through crowds beside the church on Sunday while priests led prayers and security personnel stood guard. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan attended with government ministers and senior military and civilian officials, according to Jordan’s state news agency, Petra, which said thousands of citizens joined the procession.

The ninth victim, Mohammed al-Qasous, is due to be buried on Monday, his family told AFP. The government declared three days of national mourning.

Why does it matter?

Attacks on Christians are rare in Jordan, and Al Jazeera described this one as a rare strike on the country’s Christian minority. Christians make up about 3 percent of Jordan’s largely Muslim population. AFP reported that Muslims were among those wounded.

Many reactions have focused on unity across religious lines. Young volunteers brought flowers to a hospital in Karak with a message reading “Our loss is one.” Hamati appealed for unity and stressed that Muslims also suffered in the attack. In Washington on Sunday, members of the Jordanian community lit candles outside the country’s embassy. Jordan’s ambassador to the United States, Dina Kawar, told them that efforts to stir religious division were bound to fail.

What happens next?

The burial of the ninth victim is expected Monday. The motive of the attackers and any link to a group have not been established by officials, and further details on the investigation have yet to be released by the Public Security Directorate.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Al Jazeera, ABC News