Seven Killed in Jordan Church Attack During Funeral, Authorities Launch Manhunt
By Jahanzaib Saqib— SCN NEWS
KARAK, Jordan — Seven people were killed and 40 others wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan on Friday, authorities said, in a rare attack on the country's Christian community that prompted King Abdullah II to visit the area and promise severe punishment for those responsible.
The shooting occurred at Hamoud Church in the village of Humud, in Karak governorate, approximately 180 kilometres south of the capital, Amman. Armed men arrived in a vehicle and began firing as mourners gathered for a funeral procession, according to Jordan's Public Security Directorate. Security forces launched a search for the attackers, whose identities and affiliations had not been established.
Jordan's Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the shooting as a terrorist operation carried out by extremists. He cautioned, however, that investigators had not determined whether the perpetrators were connected to any known organization inside or outside Jordan. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the killings.
The attack sent wounded mourners to hospitals in Karak and brought a large security response to the church and surrounding streets. The head of the Public Security Directorate, Major General Obaidallah Al Maaytah, initially reported seven deaths and 34 injuries, while subsequent reporting citing health authorities put the number of wounded at 40. The differing figures reflected updates from separate officials as emergency treatment and the investigation continued.
Al Maaytah said at an evening news conference that 27 of those injured were still receiving medical treatment. Health Minister Ibrahim Al Budour reported that two wounded people were in critical condition, raising concern that the death toll could change.
Footage broadcast by Jordan's state-owned Al-Mamlaka television showed three armed men approaching the church from the street. Two appeared to be carrying pistols, while a third held a longer firearm. The men fired toward the church before moving toward its entrance, according to the images.
The video provided an account of how the assault began, but it did not establish the gunmen's identities or the organization, if any, behind the operation. Investigators were examining the circumstances of the attack and pursuing suspects as authorities sought to determine how the assailants reached the church and escaped.
Witnesses described panic among mourners as gunfire interrupted the funeral. Khaled Burqan, who attended the service, told Jordanian state television that the attackers fired for several minutes while dozens of people were present. Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, described seeing wounded people collapse as those inside the church cried out for help.
Images from the aftermath showed broken glass and blood on the church floor, while police officers and other security personnel secured the area. Families and residents gathered outside hospitals seeking information about relatives and offering support to those receiving treatment.
King Abdullah II travelled to Karak hours after the attack and condemned the killings as an assault on the country. He promised that those responsible would face severe punishment and said violence would not succeed in dividing Jordanians.
The king's response reflected the gravity of an attack on a place of worship in a country whose Muslim and Christian communities have lived alongside one another for generations. Jordan is predominantly Muslim, but its Christian minority maintains historic churches, schools and other institutions and has long participated in the country's public life.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan also condemned the shooting, describing it as an act of extremist violence. He chaired a security meeting in Karak to review the response, while government officials said investigative agencies were working to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
The authorities' description of the incident as terrorism is significant, but it does not establish the attackers' ideological or organizational background. Officials had not announced arrests, released verified suspect identities or presented evidence connecting the shooting to a particular militant movement.
That distinction remains central to the investigation. A violent attack on a religious gathering can produce immediate speculation about motives, especially in a region affected by multiple conflicts, but determining responsibility requires evidence from the crime scene, witness accounts and security inquiries.
The shooting drew condemnation from political and religious leaders across the Middle East. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the attack and warned against efforts to undermine coexistence between religious communities. Religious leaders in Egypt and officials in neighbouring countries also expressed solidarity with Jordan and the victims' families.
Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, condemned the killings and offered condolences to the families. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein contacted his Jordanian counterpart to express support for the kingdom's response to the attack.
International criticism followed as well. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the violence, while U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz denounced the attack on a house of worship.
The assault has revived memories of earlier violence in Karak. In December 2016, gunmen attacked security personnel and other targets in the area, including near a historic castle, killing 10 people before Jordanian forces ended the confrontation. Such large-scale attacks have remained uncommon in the kingdom, where security authorities have repeatedly reported disrupting suspected militant plots.
Karak holds particular historical and religious importance. Its Christian communities form part of Jordan's longstanding religious diversity, while the wider country attracts Christian pilgrims to biblical sites, including locations associated with the baptism of Jesus.
Friday's attack therefore carried consequences beyond the immediate crime scene. It raised urgent questions about the protection of religious gatherings, the ability of armed attackers to reach civilian locations and the measures authorities may take to reassure communities following an assault on worshippers.
Jordan's government has emphasized national unity in its public response. Officials and religious figures have urged the population not to allow the killings to create divisions between Muslim and Christian citizens, while security agencies continue their search for those responsible.
The immediate priority remains the treatment of the wounded and the identification of the attackers. Authorities have not established a motive, and no organization has publicly demonstrated responsibility for the shooting.
For the families gathered at Hamoud Church, a funeral became the scene of another tragedy. For Jordanian authorities, the attack has created a major security investigation and a test of their ability to bring the perpetrators to justice while protecting the country's religious communities.