Karak Church Attack: Eight Dead as Jordan Orders Firm Hunt

Jordanian security forces are actively searching for the shooters who killed eight people and wounded 40 others at a church in Karak. The royal court confirmed that King Abdullah has instructed authorities to respond firmly to the incident.

The shooting occurred on Friday at a Greek Orthodox church located roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Gunmen opened fire for several minutes in broad daylight while a funeral was in progress. Jordanian officials characterized the incident as an act of extremist terrorism, and no group has claimed responsibility to date.

King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the attack. He vowed that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan stated on X that the attack resulted from a terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He added that the country would not allow society to follow that path.

Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the shooting, told Reuters that one attacker stood about two meters away and aimed a handgun at him. Al-Burqan later learned by phone that his son, who was also at the mass, had been shot in the leg. The survivor described seeing two assailants after the gunfire stopped, one masked and the other unmasked while carrying a handgun.

The US embassy in Amman reported that Jordan has increased security at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other sites nationwide. Jordan has declared three days of national mourning, according to the state-run Petra News Agency. Officials said it is too early to determine if the attackers have ties to known groups inside or outside the country.

At a hospital treating the wounded, Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was hurt, called the event a massacre in every sense of the word. Bahjat al-Rushda, mayor of Shihan village in Karak, condemned the attack as wicked. He stated that God willing, the country will remain safe. Karak is home to a minority Christian population, and Jordan contains several biblical sites that draw Christian pilgrims from around the world.