King Abdullah II Orders Harshest Penalties After Seven Die in Karak Church Attack
Three armed men opened fire on a Greek Orthodox funeral service, killing seven and injuring 40 before Jordan declared a national mourning period.
By Daniel Rogers ·
King Abdullah II of Jordan declared on X that the kingdom will impose the harshest penalties following an attack that killed seven people and wounded 40 at a funeral service. The violence occurred on Friday at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, a town located roughly 55 miles south of Amman. The royal statement described the incident as a terrorist act and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
State television footage captured the initial moments of the assault. Two men carrying pistols approached the church and began firing. A third individual, holding a semiautomatic rifle, followed and added to the gunfire. The three then rushed toward the building. Witness videos show broken glass and blood on the church floor. Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside, stated that intense shooting started 15 minutes after the service began. He noted that people ran for cover and that others reported seeing four attackers, though authorities have not confirmed that number.
The government said in a statement that unknown assailants carried out the attack. Investigators are working at full speed to determine what happened. No arrests or kills have been announced yet. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour reported that two of the wounded remain in critical condition. Jordan’s Petra News Agency reported that the country entered a three-day national mourning period following the news.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan held a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening. He blamed the attack on terrorist ideology and blind extremism. Hassan said legal measures would target those who try to bring extremism into the country. The attackers face punishment, he added.
Karak has experienced deadly violence before. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in several locations, including a Crusader castle. That attack left ten dead and dozens wounded. Security forces killed the shooters after a standoff. The town maintains a small Christian population.
Regional leaders quickly condemned the shooting. Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar in Cairo called the event a heinous terrorist attack. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein phoned his Jordanian counterpart to express solidarity. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the attack as especially heinous because it happened during a funeral. His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the U.N. chief called for those responsible to be found and held to account.
Source: NPR
