Gunmen killed seven people and wounded 34 others during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, on Friday.
The attack occurred at the Hamoud Church in the Karak governorate, about 180 kilometers south of Amman. Security camera footage aired on Jordanian state television showed three armed men firing at the church from a sidewalk before running toward its entrance. Witnesses reported that the gunmen shot continuously for several minutes, with some estimating 150 to 200 people were present at the time.
Major General Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, said most of the wounded were still receiving treatment. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the attack as the work of “extremists” but stated it was too early to confirm any links to known groups inside or outside Jordan. No group has claimed responsibility.
King Abdullah II condemned the attack on X, vowing to confront it “with the harshest penalties” and offering condolences to the victims’ families. He later visited Karak and reiterated that the assailants would face “an iron fist,” emphasizing national unity against those seeking to divide Jordanians.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan called the attack a result of “terrorist ideology and blind extremism” during a security meeting in Karak. Jordan declared three days of national mourning, and Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the wounded were in critical condition.
Regional and international figures condemned the attack. Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar in Cairo called it a “heinous terrorist attack,” while Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein affirmed Iraq’s solidarity with Jordan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the shooting as “especially heinous” and demanded accountability for those responsible.
The attack targeted Jordan’s Christian minority, which constitutes about 2 to 3 percent of the predominantly Sunni Muslim population. Karak was also the site of a 2016 attack in which gunmen killed 10 people, including seven police officers, before being killed by security forces after a standoff.
