Jafar Hassan Orders National Search After Karak Church Funeral Massacre

Forty people were wounded and nine others killed when three gunmen opened fire during a funeral at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak governorate, on Friday. The incident represents a rare targeted assault on Jordan's Christian minority. Maj Gen Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most injured individuals are receiving treatment while authorities continue to hunt for the shooters.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh attributed the attack to extremists but stated that it was premature to determine if the perpetrators had connections to specific groups inside or outside Jordan. No organization has claimed responsibility for the violence. Al Farrayeh noted that the attack was carried out by those he described as extremists, though specific ties remain unconfirmed.

Video footage from Al-Mamlaka television, verified by Reuters, showed three individuals firing from a pavement near trees and a low wall before moving toward the church entrance. Witnesses described the gunfire as indiscriminate and lasting for several minutes. Priest Theodoros Soueiss said, "A sense of panic took hold among those present," while witness Ihab Ammareen described seeing bloodied people collapse on the floor.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan announced on X that the attack resulted from terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He declared that Jordan would not allow society to follow that path. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting and vowed that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. He added that those attempting to divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance against national unity.

The US embassy in Amman reported 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, labeling attacks on civilians and places of worship unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, called the event a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship.

Jordan maintains relative stability, although US authorities have recently foiled multiple attempted attacks by Islamist militants. The country was also among US allies affected by Iranian strikes earlier this year following US and Israeli actions against Iran in February. Christians remain a minority in Jordan, a nation known for several biblical sites that attract global pilgrims.

Outside a government hospital in Karak, Hani Al-Mbaydeen expressed the community's shock. He stated that the state must investigate the source of such dark ideas and how they enter the minds of their children.