Fourty Wounded in Karak Church Shooting

Nine people died and 40 others sustained injuries when three gunmen opened fire at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in the Hamoud area of Karak governorate on Friday. The attack targeted a funeral service, marking a rare violent incident against Jordan's Christian minority.

Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, stated that most of the 40 injured were under treatment. He confirmed that authorities were still searching for the attackers. Health Minister confirmed the casualty count of 40 wounded individuals.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the perpetrators as "extremists" but noted that it was too early to determine if they belonged to a specific group inside or outside Jordan. No organization has claimed responsibility for the shooting.

The incident unfolded over several minutes. Al-Mamlaka television aired security camera footage showing three individuals firing from a pavement, using trees and a low wall for cover before running toward the church entrance. Reuters verified the video by matching the entry path and surrounding architecture. Witness Khaled Burqan told Al-Mamlaka that dozens of people were present during the shooting.

Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he instructed the crowd to get down as panic spread. He described the gunfire as indiscriminate, noting that it was difficult to predict where bullets would land. Ihab Ammareen, another witness, described seeing bloodied people collapse on the floor while others screamed.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan called the attack a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism on social media X. He stated that society would not be allowed to follow that path. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist and said that bullets would not divide Jordanians.

The US embassy in Amman announced on Saturday that security measures were increased at malls, embassies, and other sites across the country. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence against civilians and places of worship. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, called the event a depraved and brutal attack.

Jordan has maintained relative stability, though US authorities have foiled multiple attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was also hit by Iranian strikes this year following US and Israeli operations against Iran in February. Hani Al-Mbaydeen, a supporter at a government hospital in Karak, urged the state to investigate how dark ideas enter the minds of children.