A survivor of the deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, has provided a harrowing account of the violence, describing a scene where victims crawled for their lives while gunmen returned to fire additional bullets into the dying. The death toll from the Friday attack rose to nine on Saturday, with nearly 40 other individuals reported wounded.
The shooting occurred as people had gathered for a funeral in Karak, a city located approximately 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman. The city is known for its minority Christian population. Witness Saed al-Halaseh recalled that some attendees were chatting outside the church when they heard what sounded like an engine backfiring. “All of a sudden, three masked men appeared, armed with automatic weapons, and began firing indiscriminately at those of us standing outside,” al-Halaseh said.
The witness described a calculated level of brutality, noting that the gunmen were not satisfied with the initial casualties. “They went back and fired on everyone again. They returned to finish off those who had already been hit,” he said. According to al-Halaseh, the attackers then stood by the church facade and fired directly into the building structure. He lamented the loss of the security that once defined the community, stating, “The sense of security we once had, the very foundation we grew up with, has, sadly, vanished. They were simply mourners at a funeral. I cannot fathom what the perpetrators could have possibly wanted from them.”
As of Saturday, the motivation for the shooting remains unknown. No armed group has claimed responsibility, and no specific organization has been accused of the attack, which the Jordanian government has officially labeled a “terrorist” act. King Abdullah II has directed authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against those he described as outlaws of Islam and anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people. Al-Halaseh emphasized that Karak has long been a symbol of religious coexistence, adding, “I don’t believe any religion in the world could condone what happened. It was truly a massacre.”
