Jordanian security forces clashed with unidentified gunmen after a raid on a house in a village on the outskirts of the southern city of Karak where suspected militants were believed to be hiding, security sources said.

Jordan has launched a manhunt in search of suspects who may have had links to four militants who attacked police in the city of Karak in a shootout in which at least nine people were killed. The militant group Islamic State on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the operation, in which the four assailants were later killed. </s> KARAK, Jordan — Officials say the casualty toll in a series of shooting attacks in Jordan has risen to nine dead, including a Canadian tourist, and 27 wounded.

One of Sunday's attacks took place at a Crusader castle popular with tourists.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists. </s> At least four policemen and one suspect have been killed in clashes on the outskirts of Karak city in southern Jordan after security officers stormed an apartment, according to security sources.

Two more suspects were arrested after Tuesday's gun battle in Wesya village, which came shortly after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks at a popular tourist destination in Karak.

The sources told Al Jazeera that the suspects were on a list of wanted men and did have any apparent links to the assailants involved in the Karak citadel assault.

A video uploaded on social media purported to show Tuesday's exchange of fire in Wesya.

The shooting erupted just hours after ISIL, also known as ISIS, said "four soldiers of the caliphate" armed with machineguns and hand grenades carried out Sunday's attack at the Crusader-era castle, which left 10 people dead.

"We promise the Crusader coalition countries something worse and more severe, Allah permitting ...," it said, referring to the anti-ISIL coalition member states.

ISIL confirmed that the attackers were killed by police during the course of a siege that lasted several hours.

Jordanian officials have refused to identify the attackers, calling them "terrorist outlaws".

Security sources said the attackers were all Jordanian nationals.

Seven security officers, two local bystanders and the Canadian tourist were killed in the attacks which also left 34 people wounded.

Salamah Hammad, the country's interior minister, said on Monday at least five suicide belts were found, together with an ammunition cache, automatic weapons and explosives in a hideout in a house in the desert town of Qatranah, 30km northeast of Karak.

The attackers had sought refuge in the castle after opening fire on police patrols and a police station, Hammad said.

Jordan plays a key role in the US-led military campaign against ISIL, which seized large areas in neighbouring Iraq and Syria in 2014 and proclaimed a "caliphate" there.

Many Jordanians oppose their country's involvement, saying it has led to the killing of fellow Muslims and raised security threats inside Jordan. </s> KARAK, Jordan — Jordanian troops with armored vehicles have blocked access to a popular tourist site — a Crusader castle — following attacks in the area that killed 10 people the previous day, including a Canadian visitor.

State-media said on Monday that Jordan launched an investigation into the shootings, among the bloodiest attacks in recent years.

The attack was also the latest in a series of assaults over the past year that challenged the pro-Western kingdom’s claim to be an oasis of calm in a region increasingly threatened by Islamic extremists.

The attack was likely to further harm Jordan’s battered tourism industry, on the decline since militants from the Islamic State group seized control of parts of neighboring Iraq and Syria two years ago. </s> AMMAN, Jordan — The extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of shooting attacks in Jordan that killed nine Jordanians and a Canadian tourist.

The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant Internet traffic, forwarded the Arabic-language claim to reporters on Tuesday. It wasn't immediately clear where the claim was released.

Sunday's shootings took place in the central Jordanian town of Karak.

Linda Vatcher, a 62-year-old from Newfoundland, was killed in the attack. She had recently travelled to the Middle East to spend Christmas with her son, Chris, who was reportedly working as a teacher in the region.

Hours after the initial attack, four gunmen were shot and killed by Jordanian security forces during a standoff at Karak Castle, a Crusader fortress and tourist destination.

The Islamic State claim said that "four soldiers of the Caliphate" armed with and hand grenades carried out the attacks.

The group set up a self-declared "caliphate" in parts of Syria and Iraq after seizing the territory in 2014. </s> KARAK, Jordan — Gunmen ambushed Jordanian police in a series of attacks Sunday, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing seven officers, two local civilians and a woman visiting from Canada, officials said.

At least 27 people were wounded in one of the bloodiest attacks in Jordan in recent memory.

The standoff between Jordanian special forces and armed men holed up inside the castle continued after nightfall Sunday, several hours after the first shooting. Government officials declined comment on local news reports that the attackers had taken hostages who were later freed.

Shots could still be heard at the scene on Sunday evening, and security forces fired tear gas to flush out the gunmen.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

The killing of the Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordan's embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since the Islamic State group seized large parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital, Amman.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, said a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.

Armed men also opened fire on a police station in Karak Castle, a Crusader fort, wounding members of the security forces. The statement said five or six gunmen were believed to be holed up inside the castle.

In all, seven members of the security forces, two local civilians and the tourist from Canada were killed, security officials said. Twenty-seven people were wounded.

Jordan faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key U.S. ally, and a member of a U.S.-led military coalition fighting IS.

Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected IS sympathizers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three U.S. military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission, and came under fire while driving into the base. </s> Jordanian security forces and their armored vehicles stand guard in front of Karak Castle in the central town of Karak, about 87 miles south of Jordan's capital, Amman, on Monday, Dec. 19, 2016.

AMMAN, Jordan — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for a series of shooting attacks on police and tourists in Jordan that killed 10 people, including a woman from Canada.

Sunday's shootings were the bloodiest in Jordan in recent memory and raised new concerns about the rise of Islamic militancy in the pro-Western kingdom.

Jordan plays a key role in the U.S.-led military campaign against IS, which seized large areas in neighboring Iraq and Syria in 2014 and proclaimed a "caliphate" there.

The shootings took place in the central Jordanian town of Karak. Hours after an initial attack on a police patrol, four gunmen were shot and killed by Jordanian security forces during a standoff at Karak Castle, a Crusader fortress and popular tourist destination.

The IS claim was published Tuesday on "Shumoukh al-Islam," a password-protected website affiliated with the extremist group.

The statement said that "four soldiers of the caliphate" armed with machine guns and hand grenades carried out the attacks, killing 10 "apostates." It said the four IS fighters were engaged in "fierce clashes lasting several hours" with Jordanian forces before being killed.

The statement threatened more attacks in anti-IS coalition member states. "We promise the Crusader coalition countries something worse and more severe, Allah permitting ...," it said.

Jordanian officials have refused to identify the attackers.

Seven members of the Jordanian security forces, two local bystanders and the Canadian tourist were killed in the attacks which also left 34 people wounded.

Jordan has been facing homegrown extremism; hundreds of Jordanians are fighting alongside other IS militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more are believed to support the extremist group in the kingdom.

Sunday's shootings were the latest in a series of attacks over the past year that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of stability in a region increasingly threatened by Islamic extremists.

Earlier this year, IS claimed responsibility for a deadly cross-border attack from Syria on a Jordanian border post. </s> AMMAN, Jordan — The extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for a series of shooting attacks on police and tourists in Jordan that killed 10 people, including a woman from Canada.

Sunday’s shootings were the bloodiest in Jordan in recent memory and raised new concerns about the rise of Islamic militancy in the pro-Western kingdom.

Jordan plays a key role in the U.S.-led military campaign against the Islamic State group, which seized large areas in neighbouring Iraq and Syria in 2014 and proclaimed a “caliphate” there.

The shootings took place in the central Jordanian town of Karak.

Linda Vatcher, a 62-year-old from Newfoundland, was among those killed in the attack. She had recently travelled to the Middle East to spend Christmas with her son, Chris, who was reportedly working as a teacher in the region.

The mother and son were visiting a Crusader castle popular with tourists in Karak when gunmen assaulted Jordanian police in a series of attacks. Christopher Vatcher was said to have jaw injuries, and was being treated at a hospital in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

Four gunmen were shot and killed by Jordanian security forces during the standoff at Karak Castle.

The Islamic State group’s claim of responsibility for the attack was published Tuesday on “Shumoukh al-Islam,” a password-protected website affiliated with the extremist group.

The statement said that “four soldiers of the caliphate” armed with machine-guns and hand grenades carried out the attacks, killing 10 “apostates.” It said the four fighters were engaged in “fierce clashes lasting several hours” with Jordanian forces before being killed.

The statement threatened more attacks in anti-Islamic State coalition member states. “We promise the Crusader coalition countries something worse and more severe, Allah permitting ...,” it said.

Jordanian officials have refused to identify the attackers.

Seven members of the Jordanian security forces, two local bystanders and Vatcher were killed in the attacks which also left 34 people wounded.

Jordan has been facing homegrown extremism; hundreds of Jordanians are fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more are believed to support the extremist group in the kingdom.

Sunday’s shootings were the latest in a series of attacks over the past year that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom’s claim to be an oasis of stability in a region increasingly threatened by Islamic extremists.

Earlier this year, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a deadly cross-border attack from Syria on a Jordanian border post. </s> By JT - Dec 20,2016 - Last updated at Dec 20,2016

AMMAN — A joint security taskforce is currently dealing with several wanted suspects hiding in a house in Karak governorate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra , reported Tuesday.

The wanted suspects fired shots at the taskforce that surrounded the place to arrest them.

A policeman and three gendarmes were killed in the fire exchange, Petra reported, quoting a security source, adding that the suspects are not related to Sunday's terrorist attack in the governorate.

The source warned against circulating names or any other details connected to the ongoing operation.

On Sunday, a terrorist attack targeted police patrols in Karak and resulted in 10 deaths among civilians and security personnel, in addition to at least 34 injuries.
Unknown militants stage a number of attacks across the city of Al-Karak in Jordan, killing five people and injuring at least 10 others.