Seven people were killed and 34 were injured on Friday when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Jordan's Karak governorate, the head of the country's Public Security Directorate said, in a rare attack on the country's Christian minority that authorities described as a terrorist act carried out by extremists.
Source: Reuters, Oct 23, 2026
Speaking at a press conference in Karak, Major General Abdallah al-Maaytah said most of those wounded in the shooting at the Hamoud Church were still receiving treatment in hospital, and that the hunt for the attackers was ongoing. Officials first reported seven dead, a government spokesperson later said six, and the directorate chief then confirmed the toll as seven again.
Source: Reuters via BBC reporting, Oct 23, 2026
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the attack had been carried out by a group of extremists, but that it was too early to tell whether they had any links to known groups either inside or outside Jordan. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Source: Reuters, Oct 23, 2026
A video aired on Jordan's state-owned Al-Mamlaka television station that appeared to be from a security camera mounted on the church showed three people firing at the building from a sidewalk and hiding behind trees and a low wall, before running towards the church's entrance. Reuters said it was able to verify the video from the entry path and wall surrounding the church, as well as other details.
Source: Reuters, Oct 23, 2026
Khaled Burqan, who was at the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that dozens of people were present and that the gunmen opened fire on them for several minutes. Other witnesses cited in reporting put the number of people inside the church at between 150 and 200.
Source: Reuters, Oct 23, 2026
King Abdullah II said authorities would confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties, and he visited Karak on Friday evening, including the injured at Karak Government Hospital. Jordan declared three days of national mourning from Friday, with flags ordered to fly at half-mast at ministries, government departments and public institutions, under a directive issued by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan.
Source: Anadolu via TOB News, Oct 24, 2026
Government spokesman and Communications Minister Mohammad Momani attributed the attack to extremist takfiri ideology, a doctrine that brands others as unbelievers, and said investigators were still examining whether the perpetrators had links to any organisation. He said Christians were an integral and inseparable part of Jordan's national fabric, and that the authorities were continuing to pursue the attackers and anyone connected to the crime.
Source: Anadolu via TOB News, Oct 24, 2026
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack, saying attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable, according to reporting of his statement.