Jordan Declares Three-Day Mourning After Gunmen Kill Eight at Karak Church

Jordanian security forces are hunting three gunmen who killed eight people and wounded dozens more during a Friday afternoon attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud. The Ministry of Health confirmed the casualty figures, noting that 27 of the 40 injured remain hospitalized. Authorities described the incident as a rare act of terror at a Christian site in the kingdom.

Survivors recounted hearing an explosion shortly after the funeral service began. Two attackers arrived by vehicle, joined by a third man carrying a semi-automatic rifle. The group entered the church and fired for several minutes. Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived, stated that one shooter was two meters away when he fired a handgun. His son, also present, was shot in the leg and is receiving treatment in a hospital. Tarek Ammarin, who was visiting an injured relative, described the scene as a massacre.

The Petra news agency reported that seven victims died at the scene. An eighth victim, a woman, succumbed to her injuries hours later. The director of Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak said one patient remains in critical condition following surgery. Interior Minister Mazin Al-Farrayeh attributed the attack to a group of extremists but did not name a specific organization. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan labeled the assault a product of terrorist ideology and blind extremism.

King Abdullah II ordered a review of security procedures for responding to terrorist attacks. He pledged that those responsible would face the harshest penalties. The state news channel Al-Mamlaka broadcast security camera footage showing the three suspects firing outside the church and shooting at men attempting to flee. The motive for the attack remains unclear, and the assailants have not been identified.

Karak governorate, located 120 kilometers south of Amman, is home to a large portion of Jordan's roughly 300,000 Christians. Taylor Luck, a senior Middle East correspondent, noted that the community has long maintained interfaith solidarity. He observed that the attack is unlikely to divide the population, which has coexisted for generations. Several nations, including Poland, Qatar, and the United States, offered condolences. Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, called the event a heinous terrorist attack.

The prime minister declared three days of national mourning. Flags are flying at half-mast over government and public buildings. While attacks on religious sites are uncommon in Jordan, the region has seen violence before. In 2016, ISIL forces conducted a series of attacks in Karak, including a siege on a castle that resulted in the deaths of 10 people.