Jordanian authorities have described the shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan as a terrorist attack after gunmen opened fire during a funeral, killing eight people and injuring about 40 others. The assault took place Friday at St. George’s Church in Hmoud village, in the Karak governorate, roughly 120 kilometers southwest of Amman.
The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported that the death toll reached eight after one of two critically injured victims died. The Public Security Directorate said the attackers entered the church and fired at mourners before fleeing. Authorities had not announced arrests or identified a group claiming responsibility in the latest reports.
King Abdullah II chaired a National Security Council meeting Saturday and ordered officials to respond with “an iron fist” against those responsible and anyone who supports or justifies the attack, according to Petra’s account of the meeting. The king also directed authorities to keep the public informed about the investigation, counter misinformation and strengthen security measures around the country.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate condemned what it called a “vile, cowardly, and bloody act” that struck the Greek Orthodox community and expressed confidence that Jordan’s security services would bring those responsible to justice. In its official statement, the patriarchate said the attack would not break the relationship between Jordan’s Christians and Muslims.
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, the Holy Synod and Archbishop Christophoros of Jordan said the attack would not undermine national unity or Christians’ attachment to the land. “We shall not be driven to leave our land,” the church leaders said in a statement reported by Premier Christian News, adding that Christians remain part of Jordan’s history, present and future.
Jordanian church leaders and government officials have framed the attack as a threat to the country’s longstanding coexistence between Muslims and Christians, rather than only an assault on one congregation. King Abdullah’s security council ordered a comprehensive review of the response and a coordinated plan with religious authorities to confront extremist ideology while the investigation continues.