DOMINANT ANGLE
Ottawa takes a security stance: unidentified shooters on the run in Karak, an investigation is opened and a king who promises a firm response, with the 2016 precedent as a reference.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Seven dead and 40 injured (28 according to the National Post) during a funeral in a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Friday, October 23
- 02
The Jordanian government speaks of an attack "carried out by unknown assailants" and does not say if shooters were captured or killed
- 03
In 2016, an attack in Karak claimed by the IS resulted in 14 dead according to the National Post, including a Canadian tourist
ANALYSIS
Ottawa, October 24, 2026. The Canadian press is treating the Karak attack as a security matter: unidentified shooters, still on the run, and an investigation that has begun. CBC and the Globe and Mail, which picked up the Associated Press dispatch, report that armed men opened fire on Friday, October 23, during a funeral in a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 kilometres south of Amman. The toll is seven dead and 40 injured. The National Post, however, cites 28 injured and locates the church in Hmoud.
Images from Jordanian state television show two armed men with pistols, then a third with what appears to be a semi-automatic rifle, firing before running towards the church. A witness, Dorgham Halasa, recounts that heavy gunfire erupted about 15 minutes after the ceremony began: "It was a strange situation, with heavy gunfire." He did not see the attackers, but others reportedly counted four. The AP notes that it cannot verify their number.
According to a government statement, the attack was "carried out by unknown assailants" and "investigations are ongoing at full speed." The text does not say whether any shooters were captured or killed. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour indicates that two injured individuals are in critical condition. Three days of national mourning have been declared.
The National Post, the only one to use the word "terrorist" in its title from the start, highlights King Abdallah II's response: those responsible will face "the most severe penalties" and the kingdom will strike "with an iron fist" anyone who attacks it. It also quotes government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani, who says that Christians are "an authentic and indivisible part of our national fabric," as well as the reaction of US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz.
The historical context serves as a reference point: in 2016, armed men attacked the police in Karak, notably at the Crusader castle popular with tourists. CBC and the Globe report ten dead, including seven police officers; the National Post writes that the attack, claimed by ISIS, killed 14 people, including a Canadian tourist. The three media outlets emphasize that such attacks are rare in Jordan and that Christians are a minority there, making up about 2% of the population, according to the National Post.
