Jordanian King Orders Manhunt After Karak Church Massacre

King Abdullah II of Jordan ordered security forces to hunt down the gunmen responsible for a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak. The royal court stated that the monarchy expects a firm response to the violence, which killed eight people and left 40 others wounded.

The shooting occurred on Friday in broad daylight while a funeral was in progress. Gunmen fired for several minutes in the town, located approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Amman. Jordanian officials labeled the incident an act of extremist terrorism. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, and authorities have not yet determined if the attackers have ties to known organizations inside or outside the country.

In the immediate aftermath, the Jordanian government declared three days of national mourning. The US embassy in Amman confirmed that Jordan increased security measures at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other high-visibility sites across the country. Police remained on patrol outside the church on Saturday as the search for the perpetrators continued.

Survivors described a chaotic scene inside the place of worship. 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. He later learned his son was also at the service and had been shot in the leg. Al-Burqan said he saw two assailants through a window after the gunfire stopped; one was masked, and the other carried a handgun without a mask.

King Abdullah traveled to Karak within hours of the attack. He vowed to punish the perpetrators with an iron fist. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack was a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He added that society would not be allowed to go down that path.

Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was injured, described the event at a local hospital as a massacre in every sense. Bahjat al-Rushda, the mayor of Shihan village in Karak, called the attack wicked and expressed hope that the country would remain safe. While such attacks are rare in Jordan, officials say they have foiled multiple plots by violent groups in recent years. Karak is home to a minority Christian population, and the country hosts several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims globally.