Seven Dead, 40 Wounded When Gunmen Open Fire at Jordan Church

Seven people died and 40 others were wounded when gunmen opened fire at a funeral service inside a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, on Friday. The town sits approximately 90 kilometers south of the capital, Amman. Jordanian authorities confirmed the toll shortly after the assault ended.

State television footage shows two men approaching the church with pistols before a third individual carrying a semiautomatic rifle joins them. The three attackers fire shots and then run toward the building. Witness videos capture shattered glass and pools of blood on the church floor. Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside, stated that heavy gunfire erupted about 15 minutes after the service began. He noted that while he did not see the attackers, others reported spotting four individuals. Security services have not independently confirmed the exact number of assailants.

The government issued a statement describing the incident as an attack by unknown assailants. Officials said investigations are proceeding at full speed but did not specify if any shooters were captured or killed. Jordan declared three days of national mourning following the violence. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour reported that two of the injured are in critical condition.

King Abdullah II posted on X that the kingdom would confront the act with the harshest penalties. He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished recovery for the wounded. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking at a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, attributed the attack to terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He vowed that legal measures would target those seeking to introduce extremism.

Karak has a minority Christian population and a history of deadly violence. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in several attacks in the area, including at a Crusader castle. That incident killed ten people, seven of whom were officers, and injured dozens. Security forces ended that threat after a prolonged standoff.

Regional leaders sent messages of support. In Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, called the shooting a heinous terrorist attack. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein phoned his Jordanian counterpart to affirm solidarity against terrorism. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, calling it especially heinous because it occurred during a funeral. His spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres called for those responsible to be found and held to account.