Jordan Interior Minister Blames Extremists for Karak Church Massacre

Seven people died and 34 were injured when gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan on Friday. The Interior Ministry confirmed the casualties in a statement released shortly after the shooting in the village of Hammoud.

Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya identified the attackers as a group of extremists. He stated that the assailants exited a vehicle and opened fire during a funeral procession. The public security directorate reported that the men stormed the church compound before engaging the crowd. A manhunt for the perpetrators began immediately following the incident.

Witnesses described a sustained exchange of gunfire lasting approximately five minutes. One resident told the state broadcaster that the attackers fired without pause before fleeing the scene. The witness estimated that between 150 and 200 individuals were present in and around the church at the time. Most of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 70.

Footage from the Al-Mamlaka television channel showed three men emerging from a car. Two carried pistols while a third held a long gun. The video captured the men firing from a street entrance before advancing toward the building.

Karak governorate is located 110 miles south of Amman and hosts a large Christian population. The attack marks a rare violent incident targeting the religious minority in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani confirmed that security forces are currently investigating the site.

King Abdullah II announced that the state would pursue the perpetrators with force. He wrote on social media that every Jordanian life is precious and that the nation would strike with an iron fist. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, issued a statement condemning the event as a heinous terrorist attack aimed at spreading strife.

The area has experienced similar violence in the past. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police near a Crusader castle in Karak. That incident left ten people dead, including seven officers, before security forces ended the standoff.