Jordanian Prime Minister Launches Nationwide Security Sweep After Church Funeral Attack

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered a nationwide security sweep following a fatal shooting at a funeral in Jordan's Karak governorate. Three gunmen opened fire at St. George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud on Friday, killing nine people and wounding forty others. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh identified the perpetrators as extremists, though he noted it was too early to determine if they had ties to specific organizations inside or outside the country.

The attack began when three individuals positioned themselves on a pavement outside the church, firing toward the building while sheltering behind trees and a low wall. They subsequently ran toward the entrance. Footage from a security camera, verified by Reuters, captured the sequence of events. Witnesses described several minutes of indiscriminate gunfire that caused widespread panic among the attendees.

Priest Theodoros Soueiss stated that the gunfire was indiscriminate and that people did not know where a bullet might land. Khaled Burqan, a funeral attendee, told state television that dozens of people were present during the shooting. Ihab Ammareen described seeing bloodied individuals collapse on the floor, noting that people were crying and screaming. Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most wounded individuals were receiving treatment and that the search for the attackers continued.

King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the incident. He vowed to punish the perpetrators with an iron fist and stated that those attempting to divide Jordanians with bullets had no chance against national unity. Prime Minister Hassan described the attack as the result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism, asserting that society would not be allowed to follow that path.

The United States embassy in Amman reported on Saturday that security measures were stepped up at malls, foreign embassies, and other locations across the country. UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the violence against civilians and places of worship. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, characterized the incident as a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship.

Jordan has maintained relative stability, although US authorities report repeatedly foiling attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was among US allies in the region struck by Iranian attacks earlier this year following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Hani Al-Mbaydeen, a family member outside a government hospital in Karak, urged the state to investigate how such dark ideas enter the minds of children.

Health officials confirmed the injury count at forty. The attack targeted the Christian minority, a small demographic in a country home to several biblical sites that draw international pilgrims. No group has formally claimed responsibility for the shooting as of Saturday.