Gunmen Kill Seven at Jordan Church Funeral, King Vows Harshest Retaliation

Attack in Karak

Gunmen attacked the compound of a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate, about 110 miles south of Amman, during a funeral procession on Friday, according to the public security directorate. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said at a press conference that at least seven people were killed and 34 wounded, and he described the attackers as a group of extremists.

The directorate said the assailants got out of a vehicle and opened fire before fleeing, and that a manhunt was under way. State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka aired footage showing gunmen firing at the church entrance. An eyewitness told the broadcaster that the shooting lasted about five minutes and that between 150 and 200 people were in or around the church at the time.

Official Response and Reaction

King Abdullah II vowed the harshest retaliation against the attackers, saying every Jordanian life is precious and that the kingdom would strike with an iron fist against those who threaten the nation. Government communications minister Mohammed Al-Momani said security forces were investigating.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the Arab world's only Christian head of state, called the shooting a heinous terrorist attack and said terrorism has no religion or homeland. Karak has a significant Christian community in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom, and such violence is rare in Jordan.

Prior Violence and Casualty Revision

The BBC reported that initial figures of seven dead were later revised to six by a government spokesperson before officials returned to seven. In 2016, gunmen carried out a series of attacks in Karak, including at a Crusader castle, killing 10 people and wounding dozens before security forces killed the assailants.