Amman, Oct. 26 (Petra) -- Jordanian academics said the swift arrest of suspects in the attack on the Hmoud Church in Karak Governorate, achieved without injuries among security personnel, reflects the efficiency of training, planning, and coordination and affirms the Jordanian state's ability to protect national and citizen security and enforce the law firmly.

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), they stressed that targeting a church is an assault on the national fabric and shared coexistence and on Jordan as a whole, noting that citizens are partners in maintaining security.

Ekhleif Tarawneh, former president of the University of Jordan, said the speed of the security agencies' response and the arrest of the perpetrators in record time, without losses among the security forces, reflect high efficiency in training, planning, and coordination and confirm the Jordanian state's capacity to protect the security of the homeland and citizens.

He added that this is the strength of the state when it combines readiness, pre-emption, deterrence, and firmness in enforcing the law and adhering to its provisions, stressing that targeting a church is not only an assault on a place of worship but also an attempt to undermine the national fabric and incite sedition among members of the same society.

He stressed that Jordan, with its leadership, people, and institutions, is stronger than such attempts; that the security of Muslims and Christians is one; and that an attack on any Jordanian is an attack on the entire homeland.

He concluded that Jordan is strong in its ability to confront threats, protect people, safeguard the law, and preserve societal unity, paying tribute to the security agencies and to the aware Jordanian citizen who always proves to be a partner in protecting the homeland.

Bashir al-Daaja, a security and strategic expert, said the arrest of the suspects in Karak is an important security achievement reflecting the Jordanian state's ability to move from confronting crime to pursuing perpetrators, locating them and arresting them.

He explained that security agencies continued search and sweep operations until reaching three suspects who had fortified themselves inside an abandoned house, refused to surrender, and opened fire at the security force before being brought under control, and weapons and ammunition were seized at the site.

He praised the role of the General Intelligence Department in intelligence protection, information analysis, and risk assessment; the Public Security Directorate in investigation, law enforcement, and pursuit of wanted persons; and the Arab Army as the shield of the homeland and protector of its borders and sovereignty.

Daaja said the strategic significance of the operation lies in the fact that terrorism cannot impose its will on the state by inflicting casualties or hiding after the crime.

He said the absence of injuries among the security force during the armed confrontation is a result worthy of praise, as dealing with armed men who refuse to surrender requires high readiness, field discipline, and the ability to make decisions under dangerous conditions.

He explained that the speed of the arrest reflects the continuity of security work and the refusal to allow time to become an opportunity to conceal evidence or escape justice, alongside work to uncover motives and circumstances, determine responsibilities, and verify whether there are other contributors. He noted that the most important message is that Jordan does not leave terrorist crimes without pursuit and that hiding does not grant a criminal immunity from justice, which enhances deterrence and public confidence.

He pointed out that attacking citizens inside a church during funeral ceremonies is a highly dangerous crime because it targets innocent lives in a place of worship and violates their right to practice their rituals safely and with dignity.

He stressed that attacking a citizen inside a church is an attack on all of Jordan because citizenship is indivisible and the sanctity of Jordanian blood is one, calling for confronting the crime with unity and without generalization, incitement, or collective accusation.

Abdullah al-Tarawneh, vice dean of student affairs at the University of Jordan, said the speed of arresting those involved in the despicable terrorist act in Karak Governorate while preserving the safety of security force members reflects an advanced level of readiness and field professionalism and precise planning and coordination among the competent agencies.

He added that this constitutes a clear message that the Jordanian state possesses the competence and capability to deal firmly with security threats and to pursue lawbreakers and bring them to justice, enhancing the prestige of the state and entrenching the principle of non-impunity.

He explained that this response embodies the concept of deterrence and pre-emption in security work and affirms that Jordan's security is a red line and that law enforcement is not subject to bargaining or exception. He noted that the success of the operation without recording injuries among the security force highlights the importance of specialized training and precise planning and enhances citizens' sense of security and reassurance.

Tarawneh said targeting the church in Karak Governorate constitutes a dangerous assault, noting that such crimes seek to spread fear and strike at the social fabric, but the perpetrators' bet collided with the awareness of a cohesive society.

He explained that the security response and the arrest of those involved confirmed that protecting citizens and places of worship is a constant responsibility of the state and that Jordanians, Muslims, and Christians are bound by one homeland and a common destiny and that any attack on one component of them is an attack on all of Jordan.

He noted that Jordan's strength rests on the vigilance of its security agencies, the justice of its law, and the awareness and unity of its citizens, stressing that security is a shared national responsibility and that stability is the basis for development, investment, and providing opportunities for youth, preserving Jordan's security, immunity, and future.

Hassan al-Daaja, a professor of strategic studies at Al Hussein Bin Talal University, said the efforts of the Public Security Directorate and participating agencies in Karak Governorate embody the Jordanian state's ability to protect society and enforce the law and to translate information and investigations into tangible field results.

He explained that arresting the perpetrators of the attack within a short period through a joint security operation and without injuries among the security force enhances citizens' confidence in the efficiency of institutions and instills reassurance that the state does not allow attackers to escape accountability.

He called for combining immediate strategies to contain the threat, protect sites, and confront rumors, stressing the importance of intellectual security in confronting extremist thought through dialogue and argument.

He stressed that the people of Karak, its tribes, notables, and local community institutions are a fundamental pillar in protecting national cohesion and supporting security efforts, calling for strengthening communication with community police, raising awareness of reporting channels, protecting the confidentiality of information, and confronting rumors.

He called for establishing a path for intellectual security that gives young people tools for critical thinking, skills for verifying information, and opportunities for participation and volunteer work, stressing the importance of strengthening cooperation with universities and research centers in this field.

He noted that arresting the attackers without injuries among the security force is an important indicator of the efficiency of implementation and risk management and is consistent with a high level of training, readiness, and coordination, while detailed evaluation of performance remains subject to competent operational review.

He said the message of the "iron fist" is translated into disciplined institutional firmness governed by law, through which deterrence is achieved when anyone contemplating a crime realizes the seriousness of the state's ability to uncover it. He noted that targeting a church carries a dangerous significance beyond the assault on innocent people and the sanctity of worship to an attempt to spread fear and provoke religious division, explaining that this is a strategic assessment of the significance of the targeting, while detailed motives remain under investigation.

//Petra// AF