Jordan Declares Three-Day Mourning After Eight Killed in Karak Church Shooting
King Abdullah has ordered security forces to pursue the gunmen responsible for the Friday attack, while officials tighten surveillance on embassies and commercial hubs.
By David Almasi ·
Eight people died and 40 were wounded in a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate on Friday. The royal court announced that King Abdullah has instructed security forces to respond firmly and identify those responsible for the incident. The attack occurred roughly 120 kilometers southwest of the capital, Amman.
Gunmen opened fire for several minutes in broad daylight while a funeral service was in progress. Jordanian officials have labeled the incident an act of extremist terrorism. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the shooting. State-run media reported that the nation is observing three days of national mourning.
Security measures have increased across the country following the violence. The US embassy in Amman noted that authorities have stepped up patrols at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other key sites. Police continue to search for the perpetrators. Officials stated that it is too early to determine if the attackers have ties to known groups inside or outside Jordan.
King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the shooting. He vowed to punish the perpetrators with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack was the result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He added that society would not be allowed to go down that path.
Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the shooting, described the scene to Reuters. He said one attacker stood about two meters away, aimed a handgun at him, and fired. His son, who was also present at the service, later called to say he had been shot in the leg and was receiving hospital treatment.
Al-Burqan reported seeing two assailants after the gunfire stopped. He looked out a window behind him and saw one masked figure and one unmasked figure carrying a handgun. Video footage from Saturday showed police patrolling the exterior of the church.
Tarek Ammarin, a relative of one of the wounded, described the event at a nearby hospital. He called it a massacre in every sense of the word. Bahjat al-Rushda, the mayor of Shihan village in Karak, condemned the attack as wicked. He expressed hope that the country would remain safe.
Such attacks are rare in the US-allied kingdom. Authorities have stated that they have repeatedly foiled plots by violent groups driven by a strict interpretation of Islam in recent years. Karak is home to a minority Christian population. Jordan also contains several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.
The royal court confirmed the death toll and the instruction to hunt down the responsible parties. Security forces remain active in the Karak governorate. The search for the gunmen continues as the country observes its period of mourning.
