Jordan Church Attack Kills 9; Leaders Call for Unity
King Abdullah vowed the harshest penalties and rejected any split in Jordan as officials pursued suspects and churches rang bells across Jordan and Palestine.
The death toll from the Oct. 23 assault on St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud, in southern Jordan’s Karak governorate, has risen to nine. As many as 40 people were wounded when three gunmen struck during a funeral on Friday.
The attackers arrived in a blue pickup truck. One wore a mask and carried a Kalashnikov rifle; the two others carried handguns. They fired indiscriminately near the main entrance, continuing the assault for several minutes, reloading multiple times, and shooting victims again after they fell. Closed-circuit camera footage shows the gunmen approaching and firing.
Officials Brand the Assault Terrorism
Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya called the killings a terrorist attack by an extremist group espousing an ideology that declares other Muslims apostates. King Abdullah II pledged the “harshest penalties” for those responsible. Visiting the wounded, he stated that “treacherous bullets” could not divide Jordanians.
Security forces continued the manhunt. As of Saturday, no arrests had been reported and no group had claimed responsibility.
Patriarchs: A Grave Crime Against God and Humanity
Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem described the attack as “a grave crime against God and humanity.” They called for church bells to ring at noon Saturday and emphasized Jordanian unity. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem affirmed Christians’ deep roots in the land.
Church bells rang across Jordan and Palestine in solidarity with the victims and their families.