Three gunmen sought after eight killed at Karak church
Jordan declares three days of mourning after attackers open fire during a funeral in the village of Hamoud.
By David Almasi ·
Jordanian security forces are hunting for three unidentified men who killed eight people and wounded 40 others during a shooting at a church in Karak governorate on Friday.
The attack occurred in the afternoon at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud. Witnesses reported an explosion shortly after a funeral service began. Two suspects arrived by vehicle, and a third man carrying a semi-automatic rifle joined them. The group entered the building and fired for several minutes.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that seven victims died at the scene. A woman succumbed to her injuries hours later. Of the 40 individuals wounded, 27 remain hospitalized. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak stated that one patient is in critical condition following surgery.
King Abdullah II ordered a review of national security procedures for responding to terrorist attacks. He directed that those responsible face the harshest penalties. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan declared three days of mourning and described the incident as a product of blind extremism. Interior Minister Mazin Al-Farrayeh blamed a group of extremists but did not name a specific organization.
Survivors provided details of the chaos inside the sanctuary. Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived, said an attacker fired a handgun from two meters away. His son was shot in the leg and treated in a hospital. Tarek Ammarin, who was visiting a relative, described the event as a massacre.
The attackers remain unidentiied in official statements. Footage from the state channel Al-Mamlaka shows the suspects firing outside the church and targeting men attempting to flee. The motive for the assault is currently unclear to authorities.
Karak governorate is located 120 kilometers south of Amman and holds a large portion of Jordan's 300,000 Christian population. The region has experienced violence previously, including a 2016 siege by ISIL at a Crusader-era castle that left 10 people dead. International condolences arrived from leaders in Azerbaijan, Iraq, Poland, Palestine, and Qatar.
