Jordan Church Shooting: Seven Dead, 34 Injured in Shooting at Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan
KARAK, Jordan — At least seven people were killed and 34 others injured when gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral service in Jordan’s Karak region on Friday, according to Jordanian officials.
Obaidullah Al-Maytah, director of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, confirmed the fatalities at a news conference. He said at least 27 injured people were receiving treatment in hospitals.
Witnesses told state-owned Al-Mamlaka television that the funeral procession had just begun when a loud noise was heard, followed by gunmen entering the church and firing indiscriminately for several minutes.
Khaled Burqan, who attended the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that one suspected attacker was carrying a pistol while another had a rifle.
Security personnel were deployed to the church following the shooting, and authorities launched an operation to track down and arrest the suspects, Al-Maytah said. He vowed that the attack would not undermine national unity.
Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya described the incident as an unprecedented terrorist attack. Although he did not identify any group as responsible, he condemned the perpetrators and warned against attempts to draw the country into violence and instability.
King Abdullah II also pledged firm action against those responsible, according to the report. No individual or organization had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting.
The shooting took place in a region that has experienced deadly violence in the past. In 2016, gunmen killed at least 10 people, including security personnel and a Canadian tourist, during an attack at a historic castle in Karak. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that assault, and the attackers were later killed by Jordanian security forces.
