Who was behind the deadly church shooting in Jordan?

What the report says

Jordanian authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud in Karak governorate, about 120km south of Amman, after gunmen opened fire during a funeral on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. Security forces were searching for three masked attackers, but their identities had not been confirmed in the reporting, and officials described them as unknown assailants.

Al Jazeera reported that eight people were killed and dozens injured, with health officials saying 40 people were hurt and many remained in hospital. Witnesses described the attackers arriving by vehicle, entering the church and firing for several minutes. The outlet said video circulating online showed armed men shooting outside the church and moving toward the entrance, though the full context of the footage was not independently established in the article.

King Abdullah II condemned the assault and said those responsible would face the harshest penalties. He also ordered a review of security procedures for responding to terrorist attacks. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and Interior Minister Mazin Al-Farrayeh described the assault as an extremist or terrorist act, but officials had not identified a motive or named any group as responsible.

The attack is notable because Jordan’s Christian community has generally lived alongside Muslim neighbors with relative stability, and such violence at a place of worship is rare. Al Jazeera also noted that Karak has seen major violence before, including an ISIL attack in 2016, underscoring the security sensitivities in the area.