Jordan arrests three relatives over deadly church attack

Jordanian security forces have arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law following a shootout at an abandoned house. The three are the suspected perpetrators of an attack at a Christian funeral that killed nine people and appear to have no ties to other cells, senior government security officials said."God willing, they only represent themselves," Jordan's Director of Public Security, Major-General Obeidallah al-Maaytah, said.A map of the region the shooting took place. (Datawrapper)Such violence is highly unusual in Jordan, a relatively stable US ally in the Middle East, and last week's attack on the Christian minority prompted King Abdullah to order security forces to respond with an "iron fist".Major-General al-Maaytah and Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the country would not tolerate extremist terrorism."The file has not yet been closed; investigations are still ongoing. As of today, there are no indications of any links between them and other cells," Mr al-Faraya added.The assault occurred during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, about 120km south-west of the capital, Amman, also wounded 34 others, alarming a Christian community. At least 150 people were believed to be inside the church for a funeral when the shooting took place. (Reuters)Witnesses said gunmen opened fire for several minutes. The suspects, who lived near Hamoud, will face justice, said the security officials.Video footage showed a building pockmarked by the exchange of fire in the village of al-Judayyda, in Karak governorate.Jordan's Public Security Directorate said in a statement carried by state media that security forces located the suspects while hiding in an abandoned house.Nine were killed in the attack on the church with many more injured. (Reuters: Alaa Al Sukhni)They refused to surrender and attacked security forces, who returned fire and arrested all three after wounding them.No security personnel were injured, and security forces found a number of firearms and rounds of ammunition in the suspects' possession.There has been no claim of responsibility."Terrorism has no place among us," the directorate said.It added the suspects had met their "just fate".The Public Security Directorate did not name the suspects or publicly identify possible affiliations with any Islamist militant groups.Mr al-Faraya said the authorities were reviewing the circumstances that led young people towards extremism and would hold accountable any participants in the attack.Jordan, a US partner in the fight against extremism, has foiled Islamist militant plots in the past.Reuters