Jordanians lined up behind the families of the victims of the “Hamoud Church” in Karak, in the south of the country, as they received condolences for those killed in the terrorist attack that targeted them on Friday, causing eight deaths and dozens of injuries, according to the latest toll announced on Saturday afternoon. In the past few hours, the village of Hamoud has become a pilgrimage site for mourners coming to support the families of the dead and wounded.
On Saturday, Jordanian King Abdullah II stressed “the necessity of keeping citizens informed of the latest developments in the investigation, and firmly confronting rumors and misleading information that may exploit this crime to stir up fear and strife.” King Abdullah II also stressed the importance of “preparing a comprehensive security assessment of the mechanism for dealing with terrorist acts, and coming up with practical measures that enhance security readiness to confront any similar attempts in advance,” pointing to the necessity of imposing the rule of law and the prestige of the state.
On Saturday, King Abdullah II chaired a meeting of the National Security Council, in which he listened to a security briefing on the terrorist attack that targeted the church of the village of Hamoud in Karak Governorate, directing the government and concerned institutions to review policies to combat extremist ideology, and to intensify work to dry up its sources within a systematic plan, in coordination with religious authorities.
During the meeting attended by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Jordanian King stressed that there is no room for complacency when it comes to the lives of Jordanians, reiterating his condemnation of this heinous terrorist act. He also stressed that the security and safety of Jordanians is a red line, stressing that the hand of justice will reach every terrorist, and that such cowardly acts have not and will not terrorize Jordan and the Jordanians, and will not undermine their national unity.
The King of Jordan directed the relevant agencies to respond decisively and strike with an iron fist the “Kharijites” and anyone who dared to tamper with the unity of Jordanians, stressing the need to prosecute and hold accountable everyone who supported or justified this act by force of law.
For decades, the southern Karak Governorate has been a model of coexistence between Christian and Muslim tribes. Jordanians tell vivid stories about years of social neighborhood and the nature of the common customs and traditions of the governorate’s residents. It was noteworthy that Jordan sought to deal consciously with a campaign on social media sites that aimed to spread discord in the country.
Immediately after the attack occurred, a government team went to Karak Governorate and held a series of meetings. It was noteworthy that the Jordanian King, King Abdullah II, arrived in Karak himself, wearing military uniform and the uniform of the Special Operations Unit. The presence of the Jordanian king in his military uniform largely summarizes the scene in the country during the coming period.
Informed sources confirmed the progress of investigations into the Hammoud Church events and the identification of the perpetrators of the crime, noting that the results of the investigations will be announced upon completion. The Jordanians are now awaiting answers about the affiliations of the terrorist group that carried out the “Hamoud Church” operation, and whether it has contacts with external groups.
Karak Governorate faced painful events in 2015 and 2016, including the execution of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh and the Karak Castle terrorist incident, which resulted in the deaths of 14 people.
The US Embassy in Amman reported today that security measures have been tightened in shopping malls, foreign embassies and other locations across Jordan, while authorities continue to search for the gunmen who also wounded 40 people.
