Survivor Recounts Horror of Jordan Church Attack

A survivor of a deadly attack on a church in Jordan described a terrifying scene where people crawled for their lives and gunmen returned to fire more bullets into the dying, as well as at the church facade. The death toll rose to nine on Saturday, a day after the attack, with nearly 40 others wounded.

The motivation remains unknown for the shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman. Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

Jordan's government described the incident as a “terrorist” act, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility and no armed group has been accused. King Abdullah II directed authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against what he called the outlaws of Islam and anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people.

Friday's attack occurred while people had gathered for a funeral. Witnesses reported that three masked men armed with automatic weapons appeared and began firing indiscriminately at those outside the church. "They weren’t satisfied with just the initial casualties. They went back and fired on everyone again. They returned to finish off those who had already been hit," recalled witness Saed al-Halaseh. He further described the attackers firing at the church facade.

Al-Halaseh recounted how people he knew were shot in the head or the back as others attempted to flee. He managed to save himself by dropping to the ground and crawling behind a nearby car. He noted that Jordan, and particularly Karak, has long been seen as a symbol of religious coexistence.

"The sense of security we once had, the very foundation we grew up with, has, sadly, vanished," he said. "They were simply mourners at a funeral. I cannot fathom what the perpetrators could have possibly wanted from them. I don’t believe any religion in the world could condone what happened. It was truly a massacre."