40 Wounded as 8 Die in Jordan Church Ambush

Eight people were killed and 40 others were wounded in a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate on Friday.

The royal court announced that King Abdullah has instructed security forces to hunt down those responsible for the attack. He traveled to Karak within hours of the gunfire, which occurred in broad daylight while a funeral was under way. Gunmen fired for several minutes before leaving the scene.

Jordanian officials described the incident as an act of extremist terrorism. No group has yet claimed responsibility. The state-run Petra News Agency reported that the country has declared three days of national mourning. Officials stated it is too early to determine if the attackers had ties to known groups inside or outside Jordan.

In the wake of the shooting, security has been stepped up at shopping malls, foreign embassies, and other sites nationwide, according to the US embassy in Amman. Authorities are still searching for the perpetrators. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan wrote 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.

Nasser al-Burqan, a lawyer who survived the attack, told Reuters that one attacker stood about two meters away and fired a handgun at him. His son, who was also at the mass, was shot in the leg and is receiving hospital treatment. Al-Burqan said he later looked out a window and saw two assailants, one masked and the other carrying a handgun.

Tarek Ammarin, whose relative was hurt, called the incident a massacre in every sense of the word. Bahjat al-Rushda, mayor of Shihan village in Karak, condemned the attack as wicked and said the country would remain safe. Attacks of this type are rare in Jordan, though authorities say they have repeatedly foiled plots by violent groups in recent years.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population. The region contains several biblical sites that draw Christian pilgrims from around the world.