King Abdullah II Orders Harsh Penalties After Seven Killed in Karak Church Shooting

King Abdullah II of Jordan issued a pledge to impose the harshest penalties on those responsible for a fatal shooting at a church in the town of Karak. The attack occurred on Friday at a Greek Orthodox place of worship located approximately 90 kilometers south of the capital, Amman. Authorities confirmed that seven people died in the incident and 40 others sustained injuries.

Witnesses and official footage provided details on the sequence of events. State television broadcast video showing two men carrying pistols approaching the building and firing their weapons. A third individual, holding a semiautomatic rifle, subsequently advanced and opened fire before all three runners moved toward the entrance. Dorgham Halasa, a mourner present inside the building, stated that intense gunfire began roughly 15 minutes after the service commenced. He described the scene as a strange situation involving heavy shooting, though he noted that other attendees reported seeing four assailants.

The Jordanian government characterized the incident in a statement as an act carried out by unknown attackers. Officials said investigations were proceeding at full speed but did not specify whether any suspects had been captured or killed. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour reported that two of the injured patients remained in critical condition. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan attended a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, where he attributed the violence to terrorist ideology and blind extremism.

The kingdom declared three days of national mourning, according to the Petra News Agency. In a post on X, King Abdullah II expressed deep condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a swift recovery for the wounded. The monarch vowed that the state would confront the terrorist act with the strictest legal measures available. Hassan added that legal actions would target those seeking to introduce extremism into the region.

Karak maintains a small Christian community and has experienced deadly violence in the past. In 2016, gunmen attacked police forces and a tourist castle in the town, resulting in ten deaths and dozens of injuries. Security forces engaged the attackers in a prolonged standoff before killing them. International reactions followed quickly after the Friday shooting. Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, and Omani officials voiced their condemnation of the event.

Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, labeled the shooting a heinous terrorist act and offered condolences to the victims' relatives. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke with his Jordanian counterpart to affirm the country's solidarity against terrorism. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized the attack, describing it as especially heinous because it occurred during a funeral service. His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the Secretary-General called for the perpetrators to be found and held accountable.