Gunmen Attack Church Funeral in Jordan, Killing 7: What We Know

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan on Friday, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens, in a rare terrorist attack in a kingdom known for peaceful coexistence between faiths. King Abdullah II vowed the harshest retaliation, and a manhunt for the attackers is underway.

What happened at the church in Karak

The shooting took place at the Hamoud Church in the village of Hammoud, in Karak governorate about 180 kilometers south of the capital Amman. According to the state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka, the gunmen got out of a vehicle and opened fire during a funeral procession. CCTV footage aired by the station shows three attackers — two apparently holding pistols and a third with a semiautomatic rifle — firing from a sidewalk, taking cover behind trees and a low wall, then running toward the church entrance. A witness told Al-Mamlaka the gunmen fired on mourners for several minutes.

The death toll stands at seven, with the wounded count reported between 34 and 40 — Jordan's health minister said 40 were wounded, while the public security director later said 34 were injured, 27 of them still receiving treatment. Major General Abdallah al-Maaytah, the public security director, said at a press conference that most of the wounded were still being treated and that the hunt for the attackers was ongoing.

Who did it — and what Jordan says

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh said the attack was carried out by "extremists," but that it was too early to tell whether they had any links to known groups inside or outside Jordan. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and authorities have not said whether any gunmen were captured or killed. A government statement said investigations are underway "at full speed."

King Abdullah II was unequivocal: "The terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation. We will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation," he posted on X. The Royal Court shared video of the king visiting Karak in military uniform on Friday evening and checking on the wounded at a local hospital. Karak is home to a minority Christian population, and the attack has shaken the country — in 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of Karak attacks, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing 10 people.

The attack lands in a region already on edge. Recent coverage has tracked the re-eruption of the Yemen war and the Houthi strike on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd airport — a reminder that Jordan sits at the center of a Middle East where violence keeps finding new flashpoints. For a kingdom that has prided itself on interfaith calm, Friday's massacre at a funeral is a wound that will take far longer to heal than the manhunt now underway.