Assault at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church
Prayer services had just started on a Friday when gunfire shattered a funeral gathering at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud, located in the Karak governorate about 55 miles southwest of Jordan’s capital, Amman. The shooting left nine people dead and another 40 wounded. Witnesses and survivors recounted how masked assailants turned a somber religious gathering into a chaotic scene of violence, prompting King Abdullah II to direct authorities to respond with an iron fist.
The assault struck a community belonging to Jordan’s minority Christian population. Security forces stepped up patrols at malls, foreign embassies, and other sensitive sites across the country in the immediate aftermath while investigators searched for the gunmen. As of Saturday, no armed group had claimed responsibility, and Jordan’s government formally designated the incident a terrorist act.
How the Massacre Unfolded in Karak
Survivor Saed al-Halaseh told the Daily Express that the tragedy began when mourners chatting outside the church heard a sound resembling an engine backfiring.
Inside the church, Nasser al-Burqan initially mistook the gunfire for an exploding air conditioner, U.S. When the shooting paused after several minutes, Burqan looked out a window and saw two assailants—one masked and the other carrying a handgun. One of the attackers stepped within two meters, pointed a handgun at him, and fired, leaving him with glass-shattered facial injuries before he later learned his son had been shot in the leg.
Official Response and Unresolved Motive
Jordanian authorities stated that it remains too early to determine whether the attackers maintained links to known domestic or international militant groups, and no immediate claim of responsibility has emerged. King Abdullah II visited Karak hours after the tragedy, vowing that the perpetrators and anyone attempting to undermine national unity would face severe punishment.
For residents of Karak, long viewed as a symbol of religious coexistence, the attack has ruptured a deep-seated sense of security. As security forces maintain heightened vigilance across the kingdom, investigators continue to search for the gunmen behind the assault.
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Jordan's King Abdullah II visits injured people at Al-Karak Governmental Hospital after a church shooting in Al-Karak killed at least seven people and wounded 34. pic.twitter.com/D6Z6r1Rcs6
