Karak Church Ambush Leaves Seven Dead
Gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox funeral in Karak, injuring 40 and prompting King Abdullah II to order harsh penalties for the perpetrators.
By Elijah Fitzgerald ·
Seven people were killed and 40 others wounded when gunmen attacked a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak on Friday. The town lies roughly 55 miles south of the capital, Amman.
State television footage showed two men armed with pistols approaching the building and firing before a third man, carrying a semiautomatic rifle, joined the assault. Witnesses recorded shattered glass and blood on the church floor. Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside, said intense gunfire broke out about 15 minutes after the service began. “It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire,” Halasa said. He reported that others told him they spotted four attackers, though authorities have not confirmed the exact number.
The government stated that unknown assailants carried out the attack and that investigations are proceeding at full speed. No details were provided regarding the capture or death of the shooters. The kingdom declared three days of national mourning. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour indicated that two of the wounded remain in critical condition.
King Abdullah II wrote on X that Jordan would confront the terrorist act with the harshest penalties. He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and wished recovery for the injured. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking at a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, attributed the attack to terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He stated that legal measures would be taken against those seeking to introduce extremism.
Karak maintains a minority Christian population and has experienced deadly violence previously. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks, including at a Crusader castle. Ten people died in that incident, seven of them officers. Security forces killed the attackers after a long standoff. Condolences arrived from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Oman. Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, called the shooting a “heinous terrorist attack.” Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein affirmed Iraq’s solidarity with Jordan. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the attack as “especially heinous” because it occurred during a funeral and called for those responsible to be held to account.
