King Abdullah Promises Harshest Penalties After Karak Church Massacre
Three days of national mourning were declared in Jordan following an attack that left seven dead and 40 wounded at a Greek Orthodox funeral.
By Sarah Montgomery ·
Jordan declared three days of national mourning on Friday after gunmen attacked a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, killing seven people and wounding 40 others. The town is located approximately 90 kilometers south of the capital, Amman.
Jordanian state television broadcast video of the incident, showing two men carrying pistols approaching the building and opening fire. A third individual carrying a semiautomatic rifle then emerged and joined the shooting before all three ran toward the church. Witness footage captured shattered glass and blood pools on the church floor.
Dorgham Halasa, a mourner present during the service, reported that intense gunfire erupted roughly 15 minutes after the ceremony began. He described the scene as chaotic with heavy firing. Although Halasa did not see the attackers directly, he stated that other attendees reported seeing four assailants. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the number of shooters, and Jordanian security services did not immediately clarify the count.
The government stated the attack was carried out by unknown assailants and confirmed that investigations were proceeding rapidly. Officials did not disclose whether any of the gunmen had been captured or killed. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour indicated that two of the wounded individuals were in critical condition.
King Abdullah II addressed the nation on X, stating that Jordan would confront the terrorist act with the harshest penalties. He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the recovery of the wounded. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking at a security meeting in Karak that evening, characterized the attack as the result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He affirmed that legal measures would be taken against those seeking to introduce extremism.
Karak has a small Christian population and has experienced deadly violence previously. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in the area, including at a local castle, resulting in ten deaths and dozens of injuries. Jordanian forces eventually killed the attackers after a prolonged standoff.
Regional leaders responded swiftly to the violence. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, labeled the shooting a heinous terrorist attack. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein expressed solidarity with Jordan via a phone call. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the incident especially heinous because it occurred during a funeral and urged that those responsible be held to account.
