Karak Church Attack: Jordan Declares Three-Day Mourning

Eight people died and 40 others were wounded on Friday when gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate. The attack occurred during a funeral service, leaving a small Christian community in southwestern Jordan in shock.

Three key developments have followed the shooting. First, Jordan declared three days of national mourning, according to the state-run Petra News Agency. Second, the US embassy in Amman reported that security measures have been increased at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other public sites across the country. Third, authorities are actively searching for the perpetrators, who remain at large.

The shooting took place in broad daylight, roughly 120 kilometers southwest of the capital, Amman. Gunmen fired for several minutes before leaving the scene. Jordanian officials labeled the incident an act of extremist terrorism, though no group has claimed responsibility. Officials stated it is too early to determine if the attackers have ties to known groups inside or outside Jordan.

King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the attack. He instructed security forces to respond firmly and hunt down those responsible. The monarch vowed that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan described the attack on social media as a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism, stating that society would not go down that path.

Survivors described the chaos inside the church. Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the shooting, told Reuters that an attacker standing about two meters away aimed a handgun at him and fired. His son, who was also at the service, was shot in the leg and is receiving hospital treatment. Al-Burqan said he later saw two assailants through a window, one masked and one unmasked with a handgun.

Contextually, attacks of this scale are rare in Jordan. The country is a US partner in the region and has reportedly foiled several plots by violent groups in recent years. Karak is home to a minority Christian population, and Jordan contains biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world. At a local hospital, Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was injured, called the event a massacre in every sense of the word.

Bahjat al-Rushda, the mayor of Shihan village in Karak, condemned the attack as wicked. He stated that the country would remain safe. Police were seen patrolling outside the church on Saturday as the search for the gunmen continued.