Witnesses describe chaos after Karak church shooting

Forty people sustained injuries when three gunmen opened fire at a funeral service in Jordan on Friday. Nine victims died in the attack, which targeted St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, a town within the Karak governorate. The incident marks a rare violent event directed at the country's Christian population.

Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, who heads the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most of the wounded are currently receiving medical treatment. He stated that security forces are still searching for the attackers. The health minister independently verified the number of injured at 40. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh labeled the perpetrators as "extremists" but noted that authorities have not yet determined if they have connections to specific groups inside or outside Jordan. No organization has claimed responsibility for the shooting as of this report.

State television aired security footage from the church that appeared to show the attack in progress. The video displayed three individuals firing from a pavement area, using trees and a low wall for cover before moving toward the building's entrance. Reuters verified the clip by matching the entry path and surrounding architectural details. Witness accounts described a chaotic scene. Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he urged attendees to get down on the ground. He described the gunfire as indiscriminate and noted that panic spread quickly among the congregation.

Khaled Burqan, a funeral attendee, told state television that dozens of people were present when the shooting began. He estimated the firing continued for several minutes. Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, recalled seeing bloodied individuals collapse to the floor. He described the scene as difficult to articulate due to the crying and screaming. Reuters reporters observed blood smeared on the floor near the church entrance after security forces deployed to the site.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack resulted from a terrorist ideology. He stated that Jordan would not allow society to follow that path. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the incident. He promised that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. The king said that those attempting to divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance against national unity. The United States embassy in Amman announced on Saturday that security measures had been increased at malls, foreign embassies, and other locations across the country.

UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the violence, calling attacks on civilians and places of worship unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, described the event as a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship. Jordan is generally viewed as stable, though US authorities say they have foiled multiple attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was among US allies in the region that faced Iranian attacks earlier this year following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Christians remain a minority in Jordan, which hosts several biblical sites that attract global pilgrims.

Outside a government hospital in Karak, Hani Al-Mbaydeen gathered with others to support the wounded. He expressed shock over the event. He said the state must investigate where dark ideas originate and how they enter the minds of their children.