President Nikos Christodoulides on Saturday condemned the terrorist attack on St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the Karak region of Jordan, expressing Cyprus’ solidarity with the country during a telephone conversation with King Abdullah II.
According to a written statement by government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Christodoulides conveyed the sincere condolences of the government and people of Cyprus for the victims of the attack.
The president strongly condemned the targeting of innocent people at a place of worship, reaffirming Cyprus’ unwavering support for Jordan and its people.
During their conversation, the two leaders emphasised their shared commitment to protecting religious freedom, respecting the sanctity of human life and promoting peaceful coexistence.
They stressed that acts of violence and intolerance must not undermine the principles and values upon which peace and stability in the region are founded.
Christodoulides also reaffirmed Cyprus’ commitment to further strengthening its close relations and cooperation with Jordan, highlighting the mutual trust, shared challenges and common vision for regional peace, security and stability that underpin bilateral ties.
Jordan’s King Abdullah ordered security forces on Saturday to respond with an “iron fist” as authorities searched for gunmen who opened fire and killed nine people during a church funeral service.
The assailants fired for several minutes in broad daylight at the church in Karak governorate on Friday, and also wounded 40 people in the rare attack on Jordan’s Christian minority.
Security was stepped up at malls, foreign embassies and other locations across the country, the US embassy in Amman said.
‘A SENSE OF PANIC TOOK HOLD’
A priest described how he and others ordered people to get to the ground at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox church, about 120 km (75 miles) southwest of the capital, Amman.
“A sense of panic took hold among those present,” Theodoros Soueiss told Reuters. “The gunfire was indiscriminate, and you never knew where a bullet might land.”
King Abdullah condemned the “despicable terrorist act” as he chaired a National Security Council meeting and said there was no room for leniency when it comes to the lives of Jordanians, the royal court said.
Such attacks are highly unusual in Jordan, a relatively stable state in the Middle East, though authoritiesthere say they have foiled several Islamist plots in recent years.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in the kingdom, a major partner with the US in the fight against militant groups.
Officials have said it is too early to determine whether the attackers had links to known groups inside or outside Jordan.
“A massacre, a massacre in every sense of the word,” said Tarek Ammarin at a hospital where the wounded were being treated. A relative of Ammarin’s was injured in the attack.
Christians make up a minority of Jordan’s population. The country is home to several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.
Jordan has been among the US allies in the Middle East to be hit by Iranian attacks this year after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.
Bahjat al-Rushda, mayor of Shihan village in Karak, joined a long list of officials condemning what they called an attack by extremist terrorists.
“God willing, this country will remain secure,” he said.
Security was stepped up at malls, foreign embassies and other locations across Jordan, the US embassy in Amman said on Saturday, as authorities searched for gunmen who killed eight people and wounded 40 in a church attack.
The assailants fired for several minutes in broad daylight during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate on Friday, in what Jordanian authorities described as an act of extremist terrorism. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Such attacks are rare in Jordan, although authorities in the US-allied kingdom say they have repeatedly foiled plots by Islamist militants in recent years.
Bahjat al-Rushda, mayor of Shihan village in Karak, joined a long list of officials condemning what he called a “wicked” attack.
“God willing, this country will remain secure,” he said.
Authorities said they were still searching for the attackers, adding it was too early to determine whether they had links to known groups inside or outside Jordan.
“A massacre, a massacre in every sense of the word,” said Tarek Ammarin at a hospital where the wounded were being treated. A relative of Ammarin’s was injured in the attack.
Reuters video footage showed police patrolling on Saturday outside the Hamoud church, about 120 km (75 miles) southwest of the capital Amman.
“This is a result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism and we will not allow society to go down this path,” Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said in a post on X.
Jordan’s King Abdullah, a US partner in the fight against militant Islamist groups, visited Karak hours after the attack and said the perpetrators would be punished “with an iron fist”.
Christians make up a minority of Jordan’s population. The country is home to several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.
Jordan has been among the US allies in the Middle East to be hit by Iranian attacks this year after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.
U.S. intelligence has warned that Iranian plots to kill Americans abroad have reached “advanced stages,” as Washington reduces diplomatic staffing across the Middle East amid mounting threats and the prospect of renewed military strikes against Tehran.
Seven people were killed on Friday when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan, said the head of the country’s Public Security Directorate, in a rare attack on Jordan’s Christian minority that authorities described as a terrorist act by extremists.
Speaking at a press conference, Major General Abdallah al-Maaytah said most of those wounded in the shooting at the Hamoud Church in Karak governorate were still receiving treatment, and that the hunt for the attackers was ongoing. Jordan’s health minister said 40 people were wounded.
Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh said the attack had been carried out by “extremists”, but that it was too early to tell whether they had any links to known groups inside or outside Jordan.
Such attacks are extremely rare in Jordan, which is relatively stable, though authorities in the US ally say that in recent years they have repeatedly foiled attempted attacks by Islamist militants.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
A video aired on Jordan’s state-owned Al-Mamlaka television station that appeared to be from a security camera on the church showed three people firing at it from a sidewalk and hiding behind trees and a low wall. The video showed the attackers then running towards the church’s entrance. Reuters was able to verify the video from the entry path and wall surrounding the church, as well as other details.
“This is a result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism and we will not allow society to go down this path,” Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said in a post on X.
Khaled Burqan, who was at the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that dozens of people were present and the gunmen opened fire on them for several minutes.
Ihab Ammareen, another witness, told the station he saw bloodied people collapse on the floor after the attack. “People were crying, wailing, screaming — it’s hard to describe,” he said.
BLOOD SMEARED ON THE GROUND
Jordan’s King Abdullah, a major US partner in the fight against militant Islamist groups, visited Karak hours after the attack and said the perpetrators would be punished “with an iron fist”.
“The terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation. Those who delude themselves into thinking that they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance in the face of our unity,” he said in a statement.
Reuters footage from the church after the attack showed blood smeared on the floor near its entrance, where security forces were deployed.
In a post on X, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and said attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable.
People who gathered at a Karak government hospital to support the wounded expressed shock.
“What happened today has left people unable to speak or raise our voices. But our only reproach to the state is that it must investigate these dark ideas — where they come from and how they enter the minds of our children,” said one of them, Hani Al-Mbaydeen.
Christians make up a minority of Jordan’s population. The country is home to several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims from around the world.
The US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz described it on X as a “depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship.”
Jordan was among the US allies in the region to be hit by Iranian attacks this year after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February.
The interior ministry of Jordan said on Friday that a group of “extremists” attacked St. George’s Greek Orthodox church in the southern al-Karak governorate, killing at least seven people and wounding 34 others.
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