Three Gunmen Kill Nine at Jordanian Church Funeral
The attack on St. George's Greek Orthodox church in Karak marks a rare escalation of violence against the country's Christian minority, prompting a nationwide security sweep.
By Marco Kapoor ·
Nine people died and 40 others were wounded when three gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at a church in Jordan on Friday. The attack targeted St. George's Greek Orthodox church in the town of Hamoud, located in the Karak governorate. Authorities confirmed the incident was a terrorist act carried out by extremists, marking a rare strike against the nation's Christian minority.
Security forces are currently searching for the attackers, though the immediate situation appears contained. Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, stated that most of the wounded were receiving treatment. The health minister confirmed the injury count at 40. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the perpetrators as "extremists" but noted it was too early to determine if they had ties to known groups inside or outside Jordan. No organization has yet claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Video footage from the church’s security cameras captured the sequence of events. The clip showed three individuals firing toward the building from a pavement, using trees and a low wall for cover before running toward the entrance. Reuters verified the video by matching the entry path and surrounding architectural details. Witnesses described a scene of chaos inside the church. Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he urged the congregation to get down, noting, "A sense of panic took hold among those present." He added that the gunfire was indiscriminate, making it impossible to predict where a bullet might land.
Political leaders responded quickly to the violence. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan wrote on X that the attack was "a result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism and we will not allow society to go down this path." King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised the perpetrators would be punished "with an iron fist" and said those who think they can divide Jordanians with bullets "have no chance in the face of our unity." The US embassy in Amman reported that security had been stepped up at malls, foreign embassies, and other locations across the country on Saturday.
International reactions followed the news. UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the violence, stating that attacks on civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, called the incident a "depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship." Jordan is generally considered stable, though US authorities have foiled several attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was also among the US allies hit by Iranian attacks this year after the US and Israel struck Iran in February. Christians remain a minority in Jordan, a nation home to several biblical sites that attract pilgrims from around the world.
Outside a government hospital in Karak, families gathered to support the wounded. Hani Al-Mbaydeen expressed the shock felt by many locals. He said the state must investigate where such "dark ideas" come from and "how they enter the minds of our children." The search for the three gunmen continues as security forces remain deployed at the church site.
