Jordanians have flooded social media with expressions of sadness and anger following shootings in the southern governorate of Karak which killed ten yesterday.
At least 22 people were injured during the incident which began when police were called to a house fire, and ended with a shoot-out at Karak Castle. Four assailants were also killed.
Many Jordanians have tweeted their condolences for the seven law enforcement officers, and three civilians who died during the attacks:
صباح الوطن معطر بدم الشهداء الغالي
— Sophia AlHaddadin (@sophiahaddadin) December 19, 2016
الرحمةُ لشهدائنا في الكرك ..عظّم الله أجرك يا وطن #الكرك #شهداء_القلعه pic.twitter.com/sYHMrOgSrQ
This morning is tinged the blood of martyrs in our nation. Rest in peace martyrs of Karak... May God reward this nation. #Karak #MartyrsOfTheCastle
RIP to all the heroes that died defending al karak, you all made us so proud and you'll never be forgotten!! #الكرك
— samar (@MadanatSamar) December 18, 2016
They have also made clear that their country will not cower in the face of such attacks:
Jordan will always stay strong, You will never be able to take us down, We are one big Family. #PrayForJordan #الكرك
— #GloryDays (@myweirdoharry) December 18, 2016
While the exact motives of the attackers are not yet clear, with Prime Minister Hani Mulki describing them yesterday simply as “outlaws”, many Jordanians have already spoken out fiercely against terrorism, which they say has no place in the country:
#Karak #الكرك Taste of terror is really bad
— Hasan Kilani (@HasanAmman) December 19, 2016
God bless the souls of the fallen victims in #alkarak shooing, extremists has no place in our beloved Jordan. #Jordan #karakshooting #الكرك
— Yaman M S Khtoom (@yaman_khtoum) December 18, 2016
#Jordan will always Be a target 4terrorists as We are proudly leading the war against terrorism
— ديما علم فراج (@Deema22) December 18, 2016
Proud of my Country's mission #Karak #الكرك
The halfwits called the police to report a house-fire, then they attacked officers fulfilling their duty. Terrorism=cowardice #الكرك
— Bashar AbuAlghanam (@BasharAG) December 18, 2016
This is not the first shooting to strike Jordan in recent times. In November, two American military trainers were shot dead outside an air base in the country, and five were killed by militants at an intelligence facility north of Amman in June. Last year, four died when a Jordanian police officer opened fire at a training facility.
The Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah, has previously stressed that terrorism has no place in Islam. He told CNN in March 2015 that Daesh is "trying to invent falsely a linkage to a caliphate, link to our history in Islam that has no truth or bearing to our history." Jordanian troops are currently involved in the battle against Daesh in Syria.
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