King orders swift hunt for gunmen after church shooting kills eight in Jordan

The royal court of Jordan announced on Friday that King Abdullah has directed the nation's security apparatus to pursue a rigorous campaign against the individuals responsible for the violent incident at a place of worship. The directive calls for a firm response as officials continue to comb the area for the remaining suspects. The attack resulted in eight deaths and left another forty people with injuries.

In the immediate aftermath of the gunfire, authorities increased protective measures at high visibility locations across the country. According to the US embassy in Amman, security presence was heightened at shopping centers, diplomatic missions, and other key sites. Law enforcement agencies are still actively searching for the perpetrators who carried out the assault.

The shooting occurred on Friday at a Greek Orthodox church in the Karak governorate. This location is situated roughly 120 kilometers, or 75 miles, to the southwest of the capital, Amman. Gunmen opened fire for several minutes during broad daylight while a funeral service was in progress. Jordanian officials have characterized the event as an act of extremist terrorism.

As of the latest updates, no organization has formally claimed responsibility for the violence. The state-run Petra News Agency reported that the country has declared three days of national mourning. Government officials indicated that it remains premature to determine whether the attackers had connections to specific groups, either domestic or foreign.

King Abdullah, a partner of the United States in regional efforts against armed groups, traveled to Karak within hours of the incident. He stated that the offenders would be dealt with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack was the outcome of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He added, We will not allow society to go down this path.

Footage released on Saturday showed police officers patrolling the perimeter of the church. Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the event, provided an account to the Reuters news agency. He described an attacker standing about two meters away who aimed a handgun at him and fired. His son, who was also present, later called to say he had been shot in the leg and was under medical care.

Al-Burqan noted that when the gunfire stopped, he looked out a window behind him and spotted two assailants. One was masked, while the other was unmasked and holding a handgun. At a nearby hospital, Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was treated for injuries, described the scene as a massacre in every sense of the word. Bahjat al-Rushda, the mayor of Shihan village in Karak, called the incident wicked and said, God willing, this country will remain safe.

Such attacks are infrequent in Jordan, although officials in this US-allied nation have stated they have thwarted multiple plots by groups driven by strict interpretations of Islam in recent years. The Karak region hosts a minority Christian population. Jordan also contains several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from various parts of the globe.