Jordan’s King Abdullah vowed a forceful response after gunmen killed eight people and wounded 40 others during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in the southern Karak governorate, prompting a security crackdown as authorities hunted for the attackers.
The assailants opened fire for several minutes in broad daylight Friday, targeting mourners at the church in an attack that officials described as an act of extremist terrorism. No group immediately claimed responsibility.
King Abdullah visited Karak hours after the attack and ordered security forces to pursue those responsible, promising they would face an “iron fist,” according to the royal court. He also condemned what he called a “despicable terrorist act,” stressing that there could be no leniency when Jordanian lives were at stake.
The king chaired a National Security Council meeting to discuss the attack and the security response.
Authorities said it was too early to determine whether the gunmen had links to known militant groups inside or outside Jordan. Security forces continued searching for the suspects Saturday, while police increased patrols around the church, located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest of the capital, Amman.
Security was also tightened at shopping malls, foreign embassies and other locations across the kingdom, the U.S. Embassy in Amman said.
At a hospital treating the wounded, Tarek Ammarin described the attack as a massacre. A relative of his was among those injured.
“A massacre, a massacre in every sense of the word,” he said.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan condemned the violence, blaming what he described as a terrorist ideology and religious extremism.
“We will not allow society to go down this path,” Hassan said in a post on X.
Bahjat al-Rushda, mayor of Shihan village in Karak, also denounced the attack and expressed confidence in the country’s security.
“God willing, this country will remain secure,” he said.
The shooting was a rare attack in Jordan, a key U.S. partner in the fight against terrorist groups. Authorities have said they thwarted several terrorist plots in recent years, although investigators had not established whether the latest attack was connected to any known organization.
Christians make up a minority of Jordan’s population, and the kingdom is home to several biblical sites that draw pilgrims from around the world. The attack raised concerns about the safety of the country’s Christian community and the potential for extremist violence to undermine its longstanding religious coexistence.
Jordan has also faced heightened regional security pressures this year. The kingdom has been among U.S. allies in the Middle East targeted by Iranian attacks following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran in February.
Investigators continued their search for the gunmen as officials pledged to hold those responsible accountable.
