King Abdullah Hunts Gunmen After Karak Church Massacre
Eight died and 40 were wounded when attackers opened fire during a funeral service in a Greek Orthodox church 120km southwest of Amman.
By Layla Edwards ·
Gunmen opened fire inside a Greek Orthodox church in Karak on Friday, killing eight people and wounding 40 others during a funeral service. The royal court said King Abdullah has ordered security forces to hunt down the perpetrators and respond firmly to the violence.
The shooting occurred in broad daylight, roughly 120 kilometers southwest of the capital, Amman. Jordanian officials described the incident as an act of extremist terrorism. While no group has claimed responsibility, the state-run Petra News Agency reported that the country has declared three days of national mourning.
King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the attack. He stated that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan wrote on X that the attack resulted from a terrorist ideology and blind extremism, adding that society would not go down that path.
Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the shooting, told Reuters that an attacker standing about two meters away aimed a handgun at him and fired. Al-Burqan said he later received a call from his son, who was also at the mass, confirming he had been shot in the leg and was receiving hospital treatment. Al-Burqan noted that after the gunfire stopped, he saw two assailants through a window, one masked and one unmasked holding a handgun.
In the aftermath, Jordan increased security at shopping malls and foreign embassies, according to the US embassy in Amman. Police were seen patrolling outside the church on Saturday. Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was injured, called the event a massacre in every sense of the word. Bahjat al-Rushda, the mayor of Shihan village, condemned the wicked attack and said the country would remain safe.
Karak is home to a minority Christian population, and Jordan hosts several biblical sites that draw pilgrims from around the world. Authorities in the US-allied kingdom have said they have foiled plots by violent groups in recent years, though attacks of this magnitude remain rare.
Officials stated it is too early to determine if the attackers have ties to known groups inside or outside the country. Security forces continue to search for the gunmen.
Source: Al Jazeera
