King Abdullah Orders Harshest Penalties After Seven Die in Karak Church Ambush
Three armed men opened fire at a Greek Orthodox funeral, leaving forty wounded and prompting a three-day national mourning period in Jordan.
By Yasmin Duda ·
King Abdullah II of Jordan has ordered the harshest penalties for the perpetrators of a Friday attack that killed seven people at a church in Karak. The royal decree followed a three-day national mourning period declared by the government after the violence.
The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, a town located 90 kilometers south of the capital, Amman. Authorities reported seven deaths and 40 injuries. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour stated that two of the wounded remain in critical condition. The attack occurred during a funeral service.
State television footage showed two men approaching the church with pistols and opening fire. A third individual, carrying a semiautomatic rifle, then joined them. Witness videos captured shattered glass and blood on the church floor. Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside the building, described the sudden onset of heavy gunfire fifteen minutes after the service began. He reported that attendees heard reports of four attackers, though security services have not confirmed that number.
The government described the assailants as unknown and stated that investigations are proceeding rapidly. No gunmen have been confirmed as captured or killed. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan addressed a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, attributing the violence to terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He promised legal measures against those seeking to introduce extremism into the country.
Karak maintains a minority Christian population and has experienced deadly violence in the past. In 2016, gunmen attacked police and a nearby Crusader castle, killing ten people and wounding dozens. Regional leaders, including officials from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Oman, condemned the incident. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, called the shooting a heinous terrorist attack.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the attack as especially heinous due to the presence of mourners. His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said Guterres called for those responsible to be found and held to account. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein also expressed solidarity with Jordan following the incident.
Source: NPR
