Survivor of deadly attack on Jordan church describes people crawling for their lives

JERUSALEM -- A survivor of a deadly attack on a church in Jordan described people crawling for their lives and watching the gunmen return to fire more bullets into the dying — as well as at the church facade. The death toll rose to nine on Saturday, a day after the attack, with nearly 40 others wounded.

The motivation was still unknown for the shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman. Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

There was still no claim of responsibility, and no armed group has been accused of the attack that Jordan's government described as a “terrorist” act.

King Abdullah II directed authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against what he called the outlaws of Islam and anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people.

Friday's attack happened as people had gathered for a funeral. Some people were chatting outside the church when something sounded like an engine backfiring.

“All of a sudden, three masked men appeared, armed with automatic weapons, and began firing indiscriminately at those of us standing outside,” witness Saed al-Halaseh recalled.

And “they weren’t satisfied with just the initial casualties. They went back and fired on everyone again. They returned to finish off those who had already been hit,” he said.

“Even then, they weren’t finished; they came and stood right here, firing at the facade of the church, this part right here,” he added.

Al-Halaseh described how people he knew were shot in the head or the back as others tried to flee. He dropped to the ground and crawled behind a nearby car, which he said saved him.

Jordan, and especially Karak, has been seen as a symbol of religious coexistence, al-Halaseh said.

“The sense of security we once had, the very foundation we grew up with, has, sadly, vanished,” he added. “They were simply mourners at a funeral. I cannot fathom what the perpetrators could have possibly wanted from them. I don’t believe any religion in the world could condone what happened. It was truly a massacre.”