Pro-government says Jordan will crush the extremist threat after church funeral shooting

Pro-government says Jordan will crush the extremist threat after church funeral shooting
Early reports on the attack at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 kilometers south of Amman, gave different casualty figures. One initial account reported eight people dead and dozens injured, with the attackers still at large. Another report, citing Arab media and Jordan’s security directorate, said at least seven people were killed and about 10 wounded during a funeral; two gunmen were reportedly involved.

As authorities gathered information, the Jordanian government spokesman said at least six people had been killed and 28 wounded. Witnesses told local media that a vehicle arrived at the scene and gunmen fired for roughly five minutes before fleeing. Between 150 and 200 people were said to have been inside or near the church, many of them older adults.

A later account put the toll at eight dead and 40 injured. Jordan tightened security around shopping centers, foreign embassies and other sites, while officials said it was too early to determine whether the attackers had links to known groups. No organization had claimed responsibility.

The government characterized the shooting as extremist terrorism. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said it reflected “a terrorist ideology and blind extremism,” while King Abdullah II, who visited Karak hours later, promised that those responsible would be punished with an “iron fist.” The investigation continued, with the motive still unconfirmed. Such attacks are rare in relatively stable Jordan, where Christians form a minority and churches attract pilgrims to the country’s biblical sites.