34 Injured as Five-Minute Attack Kills Seven at Karak Funeral
Interior officials report that three armed men targeted a Greek Orthodox congregation in Hammoud, leaving a majority of victims in their 50s and 60s.
By Tyler Khalil ·
Authorities in southern Jordan confirmed on Friday that at least seven people died and 34 others were wounded when gunmen attacked a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church. The incident occurred in the village of Hammoud within Karak governorate, a region known for its large Christian population.
Three key details have emerged from the official response and eyewitness accounts. First, Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya stated at a press conference that a group of extremists was responsible for the violence. He reported the specific casualty count, noting that 34 individuals sustained injuries in addition to the seven fatalities. The public security directorate described the attackers as storming the church compound before opening fire.
Second, witnesses and state broadcast footage indicate the assault lasted exactly five minutes. According to an eyewitness speaking to the state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka, the vehicle carrying the attackers pulled up to the street entrance, and the men fired continuously before escaping. Footage showed two gunmen in casual clothing holding pistols and a third carrying a long gun as they advanced from the street toward the congregation. A manhunt for the perpetrators was underway immediately after the escape.
Third, the demographic profile of the victims suggests a targeted impact on the older members of the community. The same eyewitness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were inside and around the church during the funeral. The witness stated that most of the victims were between 50 and 70 years old. Karak is located 110 miles south of the capital, Amman.
Political leaders responded quickly to the violence. King Abdullah II promised the harshest retaliation against those responsible, writing on social media that every Jordanian life is precious and that the state would strike with an iron fist. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani said security forces were investigating the attack. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, condemned the event as a heinous terrorist attack aimed at spreading strife.
The 2016 attacks in Karak serve as recent precedent for violent incidents in the area. In that year, gunmen ambushed police in a series of strikes, including at a Crusader castle, killing ten people and wounding dozens. Security forces eventually killed the attackers after a lengthy standoff. The current incident marks another rare assault on Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom.
