Jordan Interior Minister Identifies Extremists as Killers in Karak Church Attack
Three gunmen opened fire for five minutes during a funeral, killing seven people and wounding 34 others in the southern village of Hammoud.
By Tunde Bailey ·
Five minutes of continuous gunfire killed at least seven people at a church in southern Jordan on Friday. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya confirmed the toll at a press conference, stating that 34 others were wounded in the attack. He identified a group of extremists as the perpetrators of the shooting in the village of Hammoud, located in the Karak governorate.
The attack occurred during a funeral procession at a Greek Orthodox church. According to the public security directorate, three assailants stepped out of a vehicle and stormed the church compound. Al-Mamlaka, the state broadcaster, aired footage showing two gunmen in casual clothes holding pistols and a third carrying a long gun. The attackers fired from the street entrance before advancing inside. A witness told the broadcaster that the vehicle pulled up and the men fired without pause for five minutes before escaping. The witness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were present in and around the church, noting that most of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 70.
Karak, situated 110 miles south of Amman, maintains a large Christian population. The assault is described as a rare event for a majority Sunni Muslim kingdom. A manhunt for the three perpetrators is currently underway. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani stated that security forces are actively investigating the incident.
King Abdullah II reacted to the violence by promising harsh retaliation. In a social media post, he declared that every Jordanian life is precious and that the nation would strike with an iron fist against those who threaten it. Joseph Aoun, President of Lebanon and the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, condemned the event as a heinous terrorist attack. A statement from the Lebanese presidency quoted Aoun as saying the attack reaffirms that terrorism has no religion or homeland and aims to spread strife.
The Karak region has experienced deadly violence previously. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks, including one at a Crusader castle. That incident resulted in ten deaths, seven of whom were officers, and dozens of injuries. Security forces engaged in a lengthy standoff before killing the attackers in that earlier conflict.
Authorities have not yet announced a timeline for the conclusion of the investigation or the apprehension of the three gunmen. The public security directorate continues to lead the manhunt in the Karak area.
