A gun attack on the Greek Orthodox Hamoud Church in Karak province, Jordan, on Friday, claimed the lives of eight people and injured several others. Nasser Al-Bourqan, a lawyer and one of the eyewitnesses of the incident, described the terrifying moments of the attack, stating that at first he mistook the sound of gunfire for that of an air conditioner.
Details of the Attack
Al-Bourqan recalled that during the prayer ceremony, several gunshots were heard, and he realized that the situation was far more dangerous than he initially thought. Some attendees were fleeing while others who were injured were trying to hide in the church. News of the fatalities quickly spread among the crowd.
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He further explained that when the shooting stopped, he looked out the window and saw two attackers; one had his face covered and the other was holding a handgun. The attacker was about two meters away from him and shot at him. Broken glass splattered blood on his face, but he told those who wanted to take him to the hospital for treatment that he was fine.
Consequences of the Attack
Minutes later, his son, who was present at the ceremony, called him to inform him that he had been shot in the leg and was receiving treatment in the hospital. This incident has severely impacted the Christian community in Jordan and raised concerns about security in the country.
The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, a partner of the United States in the fight against extremist groups, traveled to Karak a few hours after the attack and announced that the perpetrators would be severely punished. Jordanian authorities are still searching for the attackers and have emphasized that it is too early to determine any possible connections they may have with known domestic or foreign groups.
This attack, given the rarity of such events in Jordan, has raised further concerns among the people of the country. The U.S. Embassy in Amman has also announced that security measures at shopping centers, foreign embassies, and other locations across Jordan have been increased.
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