Jordanian Forces Hunt Three Suspects After Church Massacre

Three armed men are currently at large in Jordan after a deadly assault on a church in the Karak governorate. The attack killed eight people and injured dozens more on Friday afternoon. It is a rare act of violence targeting a Christian place of worship in the kingdom.

The incident occurred during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud. Survivors reported hearing an explosion just as the service began. Two attackers arrived in a vehicle and were joined by a third man carrying a semi-automatic rifle. The group entered the building and fired for several minutes.

Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the shooting, described the close range of the assault. He stated that one gunman stood about two meters away and fired a handgun directly at him. His son, who was also present, was shot in the leg and is receiving treatment in a hospital. Tarek Ammarin, who was visiting an injured relative, called the event a massacre in every sense of the word.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that seven people died at the scene. An eighth victim, a woman, passed away from her injuries hours later. Of the 40 individuals wounded, 27 remain hospitalized. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak noted that one patient is in critical condition following surgery.

Authorities have not yet identified the attackers. Government statements refer to them as unknown assailants. Security footage broadcast by the state channel Al-Mamlaka shows three people shooting outside the church and firing at a group of men trying to flee. Interior Minister Mazin Al-Farrayeh attributed the attack to a group of extremists but did not name a specific organization. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan described the act as a product of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. The specific motive remains unclear.

King Abdullah II expressed condolences to the families of the victims. He stated that those responsible would face the harshest penalties. The King also ordered a review of security procedures for responding to terrorist attacks. The prime minister declared three days of national mourning, and flags were lowered to half-mast over public buildings.

Karak governorate is located about 120 kilometers south of Amman. It is home to many of Jordan's roughly 300,000 Christians within a population of 11.5 million. Taylor Luck, a senior Middle East correspondent, noted that the community takes pride in interfaith solidarity. He suggested that if the attack aimed to divide the population, the community is likely to emerge stronger rather than weaker.

International reactions have been swift. Condemnations came from countries including Azerbaijan, Iraq, Poland, Palestine, and Qatar. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar, labeled the event a heinous terrorist attack. The United States embassy in Jordan also offered condolences to survivors and victims. While such attacks are uncommon, Karak has seen violence in the past. In 2016, ISIL carried out a series of attacks in the area, including a siege on a castle that killed ten people.