Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a funeral at a church in Jordan, leaving seven people dead and 27 others injured, according to the Public Security Directorate.
The shooting took place at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud, Karak. Public broadcaster Al-Mamlaka TV reported, citing an unnamed source, that two assailants stepped out of a vehicle and opened fire on the mourners.
Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh said security agencies are working around the clock to find the attackers. He stressed that it is too early to discuss the perpetrators and their affiliations.
King Abdullah II pledged the harshest punishment for those responsible.
Governments across the region responded with swift condemnations. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain all denounced the violence, along with the Arab League and the Arab Interior Ministers Council.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy denounced attacks on places of worship as an unacceptable terrorist act and a crime condemned by every standard. He pledged support for Jordan’s measures to protect its security and stability while urging national unity against attempts to spread discord.
The Arab Interior Ministers Council expressed full solidarity with Jordan and confidence in its security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the attack violated the sanctity of places of worship, the deceased, and mourners, adding that terrorism has neither a religion nor a homeland.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged support for Jordan against all forms of violence and terrorism. Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb and the Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned the incident.
The Palestinian presidency said targeting innocent people and places of worship is a crime that cannot be justified under any pretext.
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, Hamas, and Palestine’s Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs added their condemnations.
The committee urged Palestinian churches to ring their bells at 9 pm Friday and called on Muslims and Christians to join a solidarity gathering Sunday at 11 am in Bethlehem’s Manger Square.
