Jordan church shooting: 7 killed, 34 injured in terror attack; King Abdullah vows ‘harshest retaliation’

At least seven people were killed and 34 injured after gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan on Friday authorities said as King Abdullah II vowed a strong response to what officials described as a terrorist attack news agency AFP reportedThe assailants stormed the compound of the church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate during a funeral procession the Public Security Directorate said The gunmen reportedly got out of a vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene A manhunt was underway to track down those responsible mdash KingAbdullahII October 23 2026ldquoThe terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliationrdquo King Abdullah said in an Englishlanguage post on XldquoWe will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nationrdquoThe terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation Those who delude themselves into thinking that they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance in the face of our unity All Jordanians from north to south are partners in land and fate and nothing stands between them Our deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured Every Jordanian life is precious and we will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nationmdash KingAbdullahII October 23 2026Images broadcast by state broadcaster AlMamlaka showed the king arriving in Karak on Friday eveningThe initial death toll was six but Director of Public Security Major General Abdullah AlMaaytah later confirmed that the number had risen to seven Of the 34 injured 27 were still receiving treatment he saidFootage aired by AlMamlaka showed two gunmen dressed in casual clothes carrying pistols while a third appeared to be armed with a long gun The men were seen opening fire on the church from a street entrance before advancing into the compoundldquoA terrorist group has carried out a horrific act one that is condemned in every respect and the security services are working round the clock to track them downrdquo Interior Minister Mazen AlFaraya said at a press conferenceldquoJordan has been targeted by a terrorist attack carried out by a group of extremistsrdquo he said adding that the perpetrators had ldquoabsolutely no connection whatsoever to human valuesrdquoThe minister said the attack would only strengthen Jordaniansrsquo resolve to combat terrorism in all its formsWitnesses recount shootingMinister of Government Communications Mohammed AlMomani said security forces were investigating the attackA witness told AlMamlaka that the gunmen fired continuously for about five minutes before escaping Between 150 and 200 people were in and around the church at the time the witness said adding that most of the victims were aged between 50 and 70Karak has a significant Christian community in Jordan a predominantly Sunni Muslim country where Christians account for an estimated two to three per cent of the populationThe Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Jordan said that if the attack was intended to drive Christians out of the Holy Land it would have the opposite effectldquoIt will only make us cling to it more firmly and deepen our roots in itrdquo the archdiocese saidIt also expressed confidence that Jordanian society would resist extremist ideologies describing the attack as alien to the countryrsquos moderate form of IslamLebanese President Joseph Aoun the Arab worlds only Christian head of state condemned the shooting as a ldquoheinous terrorist attackrdquoAccording to a statement from the Lebanese presidency Aoun said the incident reaffirmed that terrorism had no religion or homeland and sought to undermine coexistence and spread discordAttacks on places of worship rare in JordanAttacks on places of worship are rare in Jordan However Karak was the site of a deadly militant attack in 2016 when gunmen targeted a security centre and police patrols killing 10 peopleThe victims included seven security personnel and a female tourist Four militants who had barricaded themselves inside Karakrsquos historic castle were later killedAuthorities have not yet disclosed further details about the identities or motives of the gunmen involved in Fridayrsquos church shootingWith AFP inputs