RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday sent cables of condolences to Jordan’s King Abdullah II following a terrorist attack on a church in the southern governorate of Karak that killed nine people and injured at least 40 others.
The Saudi leaders condemned the attack and expressed their sympathy to the families of the victims and the people of Jordan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
King Salman denounced the shooting as a criminal act and extended his condolences to King Abdullah and the families of those killed, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the attack as a “cowardly criminal act” and conveyed his condolences to the Jordanian king, the country’s people and the victims' families.
The messages followed Friday’s shooting at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud, where gunmen opened fire on mourners attending a funeral.
Jordanian authorities said on Saturday that the death toll had risen to nine after two people died from their injuries.
King Abdullah vowed a firm response, ordering security forces to pursue those responsible and conduct a comprehensive security review to prevent similar attacks.
Jordan declared three days of national mourning as authorities continued their search for the assailants.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in Jordan in recent years.
The shooting drew widespread international condemnation, with several Arab countries and the UN expressing solidarity with Jordan and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.