AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Prime Minister Jafar Hassan participated on Sunday in the funeral for the martyrs of the terrorist attack against Karak.

 

The prime minister, alongside several ministers and civil and military officials, attended the divine liturgy and funeral prayer held at the church.

 

In the courtyard of the Greek Orthodox Church, where the victims’ bodies were laid, religious and social divisions gave way to a shared sense of loss. Mourners stood side by side, united in grief and in their determination to reject terrorism and extremism.

 

The funeral ceremonies drew thousands of mourners, alongside government officials, public figures and representatives of civil society. Public Security Directorate officers carried the victims’ coffins, draped in Jordanian flags, before they were laid to rest.

 

Despite the village’s small size and population, people from across the Kingdom had arrived to offer their condolences, with visitors representing different governorates and official and popular institutions.

 

The response extended beyond Karak. Solidarity vigils were held across Jordan and in the occupied Palestinian territories to condemn the attack, which left nine martyred and 25 wounded, according to the latest toll from the authorities.

 

Christian and Muslim religious leaders joined the gatherings, while church bells rang in a gesture of solidarity. Participants carried banners denouncing terrorism, extremism and violence, underscoring a common message that religious differences must not become a source of division.

 

A doctor remembered for serving the poor

 

Among those mourned was dentist Khaled Halsa, whose death left his family and the wider Karak community in deep sorrow.

 

Known locally as the “doctor of the poor,” Halsa had earned a reputation for his charitable work and his willingness to treat patients and help people in need without charge. His death was felt particularly deeply by those who had benefited from his generosity and dedication.

 

His son, Omar, spoke to Ammon news website of a father whose commitment to his patients often came before his own comfort.

 

Halsa, he said, was so devoted to his profession that he would frequently cut short his holidays to return to town and resume treating patients.

 

Omar, who lives in Amman, also recalled seeing his father’s body after a bullet had pierced his head.

 

“Is this how kindness is repaid?” he said, expressing the pain of losing a father remembered for helping others.

 

Omar stressed that the perpetrators represented no one but themselves. He also noted that the town had never experienced similar incidents before.

 

He called for the perpetrators to be arrested and given the harshest possible punishment.