#Jordan #Karak – Two unidentified gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan’s Karak governorate on Friday, killing six people and wounding 28 others, Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said.
The attackers arrived by vehicle at the Hamoud church, stepped out, and began shooting as mourners gathered for the funeral procession, according to witnesses and state media. One gunman carried a rifle and the other a pistol; they fired for several minutes before fleeing. Between 150 and 200 people were inside and outside the church at the time. Many of the victims were older adults, witnesses told Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka television.
Early reports from state broadcasters and local media initially placed the death toll at seven with around 10 injured. Jordanian authorities later revised the figures to six dead and 28 wounded, some of them critically. Security forces deployed to the area and launched a manhunt for the two suspects. Government Communications Minister Mohammad al-Momani described the attack as “heinous” and said security agencies were investigating.
No group immediately claimed responsibility. Officials did not publicly confirm a motive, though the targeting of a Christian church and funeral prompted widespread speculation about an extremist attack. Jordan’s King Abdullah II condemned the incident as a “terrorist act” and vowed that authorities would confront those responsible “with the harshest penalties,” stating that “the blood of Jordanians is precious.”
A gag order was later imposed on certain details of the investigation, and officials urged the public to rely on verified information. Senior government and security officials traveled to Karak, and a press conference was planned.
Anti-Christian attacks are rare in Jordon, a relatively stable country with a small Christian minority of roughly 2–3 percent of the population (about 200,000–300,000 people). Karak has a longstanding Christian community that has lived alongside Muslims for generations. However, the region had previously experienced violence in the past, including a notable 2016 Islamic State-linked attack on the historic Karak castle that killed 10 people.
Cover Image: CCTV footage released depicted two gunmen open fire from outside of the Greek Orthodox church.
