Jordan's PM Orders Security Sweep After Three Gunmen Kill Nine at Karak Church

Three gunmen opened fire on a funeral service at St. George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Jordan, on Friday, killing nine people and wounding 40 others. The incident marks a rare direct assault on the country's Christian community and has prompted an immediate security response from the central government.

Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most of the wounded are receiving medical treatment. He stated that a search for the attackers is ongoing. The health minister independently verified the injury count at 40. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh identified the perpetrators as "extremists," though he noted it was too early to determine specific affiliations with known groups inside or outside the country. No organization has formally claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Video footage from a church security camera, verified by Reuters, showed three individuals firing from a pavement near the building. They used trees and a low wall for cover before running toward the entrance. Witness Khaled Burqan told state television that the gunmen fired for several minutes while dozens of mourners were present. Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, described seeing bloodied people collapse on the floor, noting the loud crying and screaming that followed the gunfire.

Priest Theodoros Soueiss, who was present during the attack, instructed attendees to take cover. He described the scene as one of high panic, stating that the gunfire was indiscriminate and that individuals could not predict where bullets would land. The attack has drawn high-level attention from Jordanian leadership. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan wrote on X that the violence was the result of "a result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism," vowing that society would not follow that path.

King Abdullah visited the Karak governorate within hours of the shooting. He promised that the perpetrators would be punished "with an iron fist" and stated that those attempting to divide the nation with bullets have no chance against national unity. The US embassy in Amman reported on Saturday that security measures have been increased at malls, foreign embassies, and other key locations across Jordan.

International leaders have responded to the violence. UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the attack on a place of worship, calling it unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, described the incident as a "depraved and brutal attack." Jordan is viewed as a stable regional partner, though US officials have reported foiling multiple Islamist militant attack attempts in recent years. The country also faced Iranian attacks earlier this year following US and Israeli strikes on Tehran in February.

The Christian population remains a minority in Jordan, a nation that hosts several biblical sites attracting global pilgrims. Outside a government hospital in Karak, residents gathered to support the injured. Hani Al-Mbaydeen expressed shock at the event, asking the state to investigate the origin of the "dark ideas" that led to the attack and how such concepts enter the minds of young people.