9 killed in attack on Jordan Orthodox church funeral
Gunmen opened fire during a service at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate, wounding 40 more in an act authorities labeled terrorism.
By Thiago Kovalenko ·
Nine people died and 40 were wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Jordan, on Friday. The attack targeted the country's Christian minority in an incident that authorities described as a terrorist act carried out by extremists. The violence occurred in the Karak governorate, where security forces are currently searching for the perpetrators.
Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, stated that most of the injured are receiving treatment. The health minister confirmed the total number of wounded at 40. Interior minister Mazin Al Farrayeh identified the attackers as extremists but said it was too early to determine if they had connections to known groups inside or outside Jordan. No organization has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Security camera footage aired on state-owned Al-Mamlaka television station showed three individuals firing toward the building from a pavement. The video, verified by Reuters, captured the gunmen sheltering behind trees and a low wall before running toward the entrance. Witnesses described a scene of panic during the attack. Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he and others urged people to get down. He noted that the gunfire was indiscriminate and that no one knew where a bullet might land.
Khaled Burqan, a funeral attendee, told Al-Mamlaka that the gunmen fired for several minutes while dozens of people were present. Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, described seeing bloodied people collapse on the floor. He said people were crying, wailing, and screaming, making the scene difficult to describe. Prime minister Jafar Hassan wrote on X that the attack was a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He stated that Jordan would not allow society to go down this path.
King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised to punish the perpetrators with an iron fist and said those who think they can divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance in the face of national unity. Reuters footage taken after the attack showed blood smeared on the floor near the church entrance, where security forces were deployed. The US embassy in Amman said on Saturday that security had been increased at malls, foreign embassies, and other locations across the country.
UN secretary general António Guterres condemned the violence, stating that attacks on civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, called the incident a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship. Jordan is considered relatively stable, though US authorities have foiled attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was among the US allies hit by Iranian attacks this year following strikes against Iran in February.
Christians remain a minority in Jordan, a nation that hosts several biblical sites drawing pilgrims from around the world. Outside a government hospital in Karak, Hani Al-Mbaydeen gathered with others to support the wounded. He voiced the shock felt by many, stating that the state must investigate where such dark ideas come from and how they enter the minds of their children.
