7 killed, 34 wounded in terrorist attack on Greek Orthodox church in Jordan
Gunmen opened fire on mourners gathered for a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan, killing seven and wounding 34. Jordan's king condemned the attack and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
At least seven people were killed, and 34 others were wounded Oct. 23 when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan, in an attack that authorities have officially described as an act of terrorism.
The shooting occurred in the village of Hammoud, in the Karak governorate, approximately 110 miles south of the capital, Amman, where mourners had gathered to pray for the deceased.
According to Vatican News, citing initial accounts from Jordanian media, two unidentified gunmen opened fire inside the church while a funeral service was underway.
Jordan's state television network Al-Mamlaka initially reported seven fatalities and 10 injuries, but authorities subsequently revised the number of wounded to 34.
Witness Khaled Burqan, who was attending the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that the gunfire continued for several minutes. He described two attackers, one armed with a rifle and the other with a pistol, opening fire on the mourners.
Jordan's Public Security Directorate launched an extensive operation to identify and apprehend those responsible.
During a press conference Friday evening, Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya condemned the massacre, describing it as a terrorist operation.
According to Jordan's official Petra News Agency, Al-Faraya stressed that the "cowardly terrorist attack" would only reinforce the determination of Jordanians to reject violence and extremism.
Public Security Directorate Director Maj. Gen. Obaidullah Al-Maaytah confirmed the revised death toll of seven killed and 34 injured and pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Jordan's King Abdullah II also condemned the bloodshed and vowed that the perpetrators would face severe punishment.
Although authorities have characterized the shooting as terrorism, no organization has publicly claimed responsibility, and the identities and affiliations of the attackers remain unknown.
The attack has shaken one of Jordan's oldest Christian communities, whose roots stretch back centuries before the emergence of Islam.
As Vatican News emphasized in its initial report, "Karak is home to a longstanding Christian community, a minority in the predominantly Muslim country."
The Vatican outlet also noted that the Greek Orthodox and other Christian communities constitute an important part of the region's religious and cultural heritage.
Christians represent approximately two percent of Jordan's population, but the kingdom has traditionally been regarded as one of the more tolerant and stable countries in the Middle East regarding religious coexistence.
Friday's massacre is particularly disturbing because it struck worshippers gathered for a funeral, turning a moment of prayer, mourning, and Christian solidarity into a scene of deadly violence.
The attack also recalls a previous terrorist assault in Karak in December 2016, when Islamist militants carried out a series of shootings that killed 10 people, including police officers, before security forces killed the attackers.
The latest bloodshed comes amid continuing concern over the security and future of the ancient Christian communities of the Middle East, many of which have suffered decades of persecution, violence, displacement, and demographic decline.
Jordanian authorities have promised a thorough investigation as the country mourns the victims of one of its deadliest attacks against a Christian place of worship in recent years.
Comments