King Abdullah II vows harsh penalties after deadly Karak church attack
Three days of national mourning were declared in Jordan following a shooting at a Greek Orthodox funeral that left seven dead.
By Jennifer Paige ·
Jordan is observing three days of national mourning following a violent assault at a church in Karak. The attack occurred on Friday and resulted in the deaths of seven people. Authorities also confirmed that forty others were wounded. King Abdullah II has vowed to apply the harshest penalties to those responsible for the terrorist act.
The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak. This town is located about 55 miles south of the capital, Amman. State television broadcast footage of the incident. It showed two armed men approaching the building. They fired pistols as they moved toward the entrance. A third man followed with a semiautomatic rifle. He also opened fire before the group ran inside. Witness videos captured the aftermath, including shattered glass and blood on the church floor.
One of the mourners, Dorgham Halasa, described the scene inside. He said the intense gunfire started about 15 minutes after the funeral began. People immediately started to run for cover. Halasa did not see the attackers himself. However, he was told by others that they spotted four individuals. Security services have not yet confirmed the exact number of assailants involved in the raid.
The government stated in a formal release that unknown individuals carried out the strike. Officials did not say if any of the gunmen had been captured or killed. They added that investigations are moving at full speed. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour noted that two of the wounded patients are in critical condition. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan held a security meeting in Karak later that evening. He called the event a product of blind extremism and terrorist ideology.
Karak has a small Christian population and has faced deadly violence in the past. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in the area. That incident included attacks near a popular Crusader castle. Ten people died in that earlier event, including seven officers. Security forces killed the attackers after a long standoff. The region has sent messages of support to Jordan. Leaders from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Oman have expressed their condolences.
Religious and diplomatic leaders have also reacted to the news. In Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, called the shooting a heinous act. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke by phone with his Jordanian counterpart. His office stated that Iraq affirmed its solidarity with Jordan against terrorism. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, also condemned the attack. He described it as especially heinous because it happened during a funeral service.
The global community is watching how Jordan handles the aftermath. The focus is on finding the responsible parties and holding them accountable. The government aims to show strength in the face of what it describes as a targeted ideological strike. The families of the victims are now in a period of deep grief. The town of Karak remains a focal point for security operations.
Source: NPR
