AMMAN: Seven people were killed and 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 km (110 miles) south of Amman, on Friday, 23 October. The Jordan church shooting was described by the country’s Public Security Directorate as a terrorist attack against Christians gathered for the funeral in the town of Hmoud, also called Hammoud.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said the unidentified gunmen had not been captured and that a manhunt was underway. A government statement called the attackers “unknown assailants” and said investigations were underway at full speed.
How the Jordan church shooting unfolded
State TV footage showed two gunmen with pistols approaching the church and a third carrying a semiautomatic rifle, then all three running toward the building. Dorgham Halasa, a witness at the funeral, said gunfire erupted about 15 minutes after the service started. Panic spread through the mourners as shots were fired inside and around the church, according to accounts carried by state television.
The 40 people wounded in the Jordan church shooting were taken to hospitals in Karak and Amman. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the wounded were in critical condition. Authorities did not immediately release the names of those killed.
Government calls the Jordan church shooting a terrorist attack
At a news conference, the Public Security Directorate labelled the Jordan church shooting a terrorist attack against Christians attending a funeral. King Abdullah II said on X that Jordan “will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties,” and offered his “deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs.”
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said the attack was “the result of extremist terrorist ideology rooted in takfir” and that all state agencies were working to bring the perpetrators to justice. Takfir is the practice of declaring fellow Muslims as unbelievers, a term often used in the region to describe extremist ideology.
Three days of national mourning declared
Jordan declared three days of national mourning after the Jordan church shooting. Security forces were deployed in greater numbers around churches and public buildings in Karak and the capital, Amman, as the manhunt for the gunmen continued into Saturday.
The Public Security Directorate said checkpoints had been set up on roads leading out of the Karak area and that it was pursuing several leads. Officials said no group had claimed responsibility for the attack, and they did not identify any suspects by name.
Condemnation from the region and the UN
Condemnation of the attack came from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Oman and Iraq. The United Nations Secretary-General called the attack “especially heinous,” noting that it targeted mourners at a funeral inside a place of worship.
Karak is a city in southern Jordan known for its crusader-era castle and its mixed Muslim and Christian population. The Greek Orthodox community is one of the oldest Christian communities in the country, and the attack has shaken residents of the town, where funerals are large communal gatherings.
The attack shocks Karak’s Christian community
Residents of Karak said the Jordan church shooting had shaken the town, where Muslims and Christians have lived side by side for generations. Funerals in the town are large communal gatherings, and the Greek Orthodox church is one of its oldest places of worship. Local residents said streets that are usually busy on Friday fell silent as news of the Jordan church shooting spread through the town.
Church leaders in Amman said congregations across Jordan would observe the national mourning period. The government said security around churches and other places of worship would remain tightened until the gunmen are caught, and hospitals in the city continued to treat the wounded through the night.
What happens next in the investigation
Authorities said the investigation into the Jordan church shooting is continuing with all available resources. The government has promised to release more information as the manhunt progresses, and security officials have urged the public to report any suspicious activity in the Karak region.