Qatar’s Amir offers condolences to Jordan as Karak church attack death toll rises

At least eight people have died, and dozens remain injured after gunmen attacked a funeral procession at a Greek Orthodox church in Hmoud village.Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a message of condolence to Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Saturday following a deadly shooting at a church in the southern Karak governorate.Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also sent a message of condolence on Saturday to the Jordanian monarch.The messages come after a violent assault on Friday in the Jordanian village of Hmoud, where three unidentified gunmen opened fire during a funeral procession at a Greek Orthodox church.The death toll rose to eight on Saturday after a critically wounded victim died in the hospital, according to Jordan’s state-run Petra News Agency and the Jordanian Ministry of Health. Dozens of others were injured in the incident.In a statement issued on Friday, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemned the assault.The ministry stated its “absolute rejection of attacks on places of worship and the terrorization of innocent people.” The statement also reiterated Qatar’s “firm rejection of violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of their motives or causes.”MOFA added that Qatar stands in full solidarity with Jordan in all measures taken to safeguard the country’s security and stability, extending condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.The attack has drawn swift condemnation from across the region. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement on Friday strongly condemning the terrorist attack, stressing the need for regional cooperation to combat and eradicate terrorism.Several other Arab nations, including Egypt, Lebanon, and Bahrain, also issued official statements of solidarity, rejecting the targeting of places of worship and backing Jordan’s security measures in response to the attack.