Thousands of mourners gathered on Sunday to bury eight victims of a deadly shooting at a church in southern Jordan, as authorities continued searching for the attackers.
Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan attended the funeral, representing King Abdullah II, alongside government ministers, senior military officers and other officials.
The burials took place near St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud village, southwest of the capital, Amman. The attack occurred on Friday when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at the church.
At least nine people were killed and dozens injured in the attack, which targeted an area associated with Jordan’s Christian minority. The incident prompted the government to declare three days of national mourning.
The ninth victim, Mohammed al-Qasous, is expected to be buried on Monday, according to his family, as reported by the AFP news agency.
During Sunday’s funeral, coffins draped in Jordanian flags were carried through crowds gathered in Karak province, while priests led prayers and security personnel maintained order.
According to Jordan’s state news agency, Petra, thousands of people participated in the funeral procession.
Survivor Recounts Horrifying Moments
One of those caught in Friday’s shooting was Sahar al-Halsa, who told Reuters that she took shelter behind a pillar inside her nearby home when gunfire erupted and people began screaming.
When she rushed outside, she found her cousin, Assem, seriously wounded.
“Assem, Assem, my darling, answer me,” she recalled calling out to him. He briefly opened his eyes before dying, she said.
Father Yohanna Hamati told AFP that approximately 170 to 200 people were attending the funeral when the gunfire began outside the church.
According to the priest, mourners initially struggled to understand what was happening before people rushed into the church in an attempt to escape the shooting.
By Saturday, bullet holes were still visible in the church walls and wooden pews, while several windows had been shattered. Church workers were cleaning blood from the building as residents prepared to bury the victims.
Jordanian authorities have described the incident as an act of “extremist terrorism.”
King Abdullah Promises Firm Response
King Abdullah II, who visited some of the injured victims in hospital on Friday, has promised a strong response to the attack.
However, authorities have yet to establish whether the gunmen were linked to an armed group. No organisation has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Muslims and Christians Express Solidarity
The attack has prompted widespread expressions of sympathy and unity across religious communities in Jordan.
Christians make up approximately three per cent of the country’s predominantly Muslim population. According to AFP, Muslims were also among those injured in the shooting.
Young volunteers visited a hospital in Karak carrying flowers and a message that read, “Our loss is one.”
The mourning also extended to Washington, DC, where members of the Jordanian community gathered outside their country’s embassy on Sunday to light candles in memory of the victims.
Jordan’s ambassador to the United States, Dina Kawar, told those gathered that attempts to create divisions along religious lines were destined to fail.
Back in Hamoud village, Father Hamati also called for unity, emphasising that both Muslims and Christians had suffered from the violence.
“We make no distinction between Muslim and Christian,” he told AFP.
The investigation into the attack is continuing as Jordan mourns the victims and authorities work to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Tags
World History