Jordan Authorities Investigate Church Shooting That Left Nine Dead

Jordan is generally considered a place of calm in a turbulent region, but the country was rocked on Friday when armed men opened fire on a funeral service inside a church. Authorities later identified the event as a terrorist act carried out by extremists.

The assault occurred at St George's Greek Orthodox church, located in Hamoud within the Karak governorate. The violence resulted in nine deaths and left 40 people with injuries. Maj gen Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, reported that medical teams were attending to the victims and that efforts to locate the perpetrators were ongoing. The health minister provided the specific figure regarding the number of wounded.

Interior minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the perpetrators as extremists, but stated it remained unclear if they maintained connections to known groups operating inside or outside the country. As of this weekend, no organization has claimed responsibility for the shooting. Security camera footage from the church, broadcast by Al-Mamlaka, depicted three individuals firing toward the building from the pavement. The figures were seen using trees and a low wall for cover before moving toward the entrance.

Priest Theodoros Soueiss described the immediate aftermath as chaotic. He and others instructed people to get down to avoid harm. He stated, "A sense of panic took hold among those present," adding that the shots were fired indiscriminately. Khaled Burqan, who was present at the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that a large crowd was gathered when the men began firing for several minutes.

Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, recounted seeing individuals collapse onto the floor. He described the atmosphere as one of intense distress, noting people were crying and wailing. Prime minister Jafar Hassan wrote on X that the attack resulted from terrorist ideology and blind extremism, declaring that society would not follow that path. King Abdullah arrived in Karak shortly after the violence and vowed the responsible parties would be punished "with an iron fist".

Following the incident, blood was visible on the floor near the church entrance where security forces had positioned themselves. The US embassy in Amman reported on Saturday that it had increased security measures at malls, embassies, and other sites across the nation. UN secretary general António Guterres condemned the violence, stating attacks on civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, described it as a "depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship".

While Jordan is considered relatively stable, US authorities have noted that they have repeatedly thwarted attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was also among the US allies in the region hit by Iranian attacks this year, after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Christians are a minority in Jordan, which is home to several biblical sites that draw pilgrims from around the world.

Hani Al-Mbaydeen, speaking outside a government hospital in Karak where people had gathered to support the injured, expressed the shock shared by many. He emphasized the state must investigate where such dark ideas originate and how they enter the minds of the youth.