Jordanian King Orders Hunt for Gunmen Who Killed Eight in Karak

King Abdullah of Jordan has directed security forces to conduct a firm search for the individuals responsible for a shooting at a church in the Karak governorate.

The royal court announced the directive following an incident that left eight people dead and 40 others injured. The attack occurred on Friday during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church located approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Gunmen opened fire in broad daylight for several minutes while the ceremony was in progress. Jordanian authorities have classified the event as an act of extremist terrorism, though no group has yet claimed responsibility.

In the immediate aftermath, Jordan increased security measures at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other public sites across the country, according to the US embassy in Amman. The state-run Petra News Agency reported that the nation entered a three-day period of mourning. Officials indicated that it was too early to determine if the attackers had connections to known groups within or outside the region. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the violence was a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism, stating that society would not follow that path.

King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the shooting. He vowed that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. At a hospital treating the injured, Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was hurt, described the event as a massacre. Bahjat al-Rushda, the mayor of Shihan village in Karak, called the attack wicked and expressed hope that the country would remain safe.

Survivors provided details of the chaos. Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who was present, told Reuters that one attacker stood about two meters away and fired a handgun at him. Al-Burqan’s son, who was also at the mass, was shot in the leg and received hospital treatment. Al-Burqan said he later saw two assailants through a window, one masked and the other unmasked while carrying a handgun.

Police were seen patrolling outside the church on Saturday. Authorities continue to search for the remaining suspects. Jordan, a US ally in regional security efforts, notes that such attacks are rare despite repeated foiled plots by groups driven by strict interpretations of Islam. Karak holds a minority Christian population, and the country contains several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.