King Abdullah Visits Karak After Gunmen Kill Eight at Church

Eight people lost their lives in a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak. Another forty individuals were wounded in the attack, which took place on Friday. The royal court confirmed that King Abdullah has ordered security forces to hunt down those responsible.

The incident began in broad daylight during a funeral service. Gunmen opened fire for several minutes inside the church. The Karak governorate is located approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Jordanian officials labeled the incident an act of extremist terrorism. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting so far.

King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the gunfire. He vowed that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack resulted from terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He stated that society would not be allowed to go down this path. The state-run Petra News Agency reported that Jordan declared three days of national mourning.

Security forces have stepped up patrols at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other sites across the country. The US embassy in Amman confirmed these increased measures. Police are currently patrolling the area outside the church. Authorities said it is too early to determine if the attackers have ties to known groups inside or outside Jordan.

Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the attack, described the scene to Reuters. He said one attacker stood about two meters away and fired a handgun at him. His son, who was also present, was shot in the leg and received hospital treatment. Al-Burqan noted that after the gunfire stopped, he saw two assailants through a window. One was masked, and the other carried a handgun while unmasked.

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 in Karak, described the attack as wicked. He said that God willing, the country would remain safe. The Karak region is home to a minority Christian population. Jordan contains several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.