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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a telephone conversation with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Saturday to express condolences over the previous day’s terrorist attack on a church in the Karak governorate. The UAE leader conveyed solidarity with the kingdom, sympathy to the families of those killed and wishes for a full recovery to the injured, according to a statement from the Emirates News Agency. Jordanian authorities have described the shooting during a funeral at the Greek Orthodox Hamoud church as an act of extremist terrorism carried out by unidentified gunmen.
The assault on Friday killed eight people and left 34 others wounded, with 27 still receiving hospital treatment, a Jordanian Public Security Directorate assessment found. Gunmen arrived by vehicle before opening fire as prayers began, according to witness accounts compiled by Reuters, and the attackers fled the scene after several minutes of sustained shooting. Jordan’s King Abdullah II visited the site hours after the attack and pledged the harshest penalties for those responsible, the state news agency Petra reported.
Security forces launched an immediate manhunt for the perpetrators, with Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya characterising them as extremists with no regard for humanity in remarks carried by multiple outlets. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident, which targeted a Christian community in the southern governorate roughly 120 kilometres from Amman. Jordanian officials have stepped up security across the country in response to the rare assault on the kingdom’s Christian minority.
The United Arab Emirates had strongly condemned the terrorist shooting the day it occurred, describing it as a criminal act that violates all values and principles, a Foreign Ministry statement distributed via the Emirates News Agency said. That initial condemnation on Friday emphasised the UAE’s full solidarity with Jordan in confronting such threats to security and stability. The phone call between the two leaders builds on long-standing bilateral ties, with both countries frequently coordinating on regional security matters.
Christians constitute between 2 and 3 percent of Jordan’s population, according to regional demographic data tracked by the BBC, making attacks on their places of worship particularly uncommon in the Sunni Muslim-majority kingdom. The incident has drawn widespread international attention, with the United Nations secretary-general adding his condemnation through a spokesperson’s statement reported by Reuters. Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack stemmed from blind extremism and vowed that society would not be drawn toward division.
King Abdullah II has directed authorities to pursue the attackers with an iron fist while underscoring national unity in the face of attempts to sow discord, a royal statement issued after his visit to Karak indicated. Medical teams continue to treat the wounded, including one patient reported in critical condition following surgery at Prince Ali Military Hospital. The Public Security Directorate has appealed for public cooperation as investigations into the motives and identities of the assailants proceed.
