Funeral in Jordan turns to tragedy as gunmen kill nine

Nine people lost their lives on Friday when armed men opened fire during a funeral service at a church in Jordan. The attack resulted in 40 others being wounded. Officials have labeled the incident a terrorist act carried out by extremists. This marks a rare instance of violence targeting the country's Christian minority.

The shooting occurred at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, located in the Karak governorate. Maj gen Abdallah al-Maaytah, who heads the Public Security Directorate, stated that most of the injured are currently receiving medical care. He noted that the search for the shooters is still underway. The health minister confirmed the total number of injured individuals at 40.

Interior minister Mazin Al Farrayeh identified the perpetrators as extremists. He added that it is too early to determine if they have links to known groups inside or outside Jordan. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident has raised questions about the security landscape in a country often viewed as stable.

Footage from a security camera at the church appeared on state-owned Al-Mamlaka television. The video showed three individuals firing toward the building from a pavement. They sheltered behind trees and a low wall before running toward the entrance. Reuters verified the clip by matching the entry path and surrounding details. This visual evidence helps reconstruct the sequence of events.

Witnesses described a scene of intense fear and chaos. Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he and others urged people to get down. He described a sense of panic taking hold among those present. The gunfire was described as indiscriminate, making it difficult to know where a bullet might land. Khaled Burqan, who attended the funeral, told Al-Mamlaka that dozens of people were present and that the gunmen fired for several minutes.

Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, reported seeing bloodied people collapse on the floor. He described the scene as people crying, wailing, and screaming, noting how hard it was to describe the moment. Prime minister Jafar Hassan wrote on social media that the attack was the result of a terrorist ideology. He stated that society would not be allowed to go down this path.

King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised that the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. He said those who think they can divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance in the face of unity. The US embassy in Amman announced on Saturday that security had been stepped up 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 it a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship. Jordan is considered relatively stable, though US authorities say they have repeatedly foiled attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. The country was also among US allies in the region hit by Iranian attacks this year, following strikes by the US and Israel against Iran in February. Christians remain a minority in Jordan, which is home to several biblical sites that draw pilgrims from around the world.

Outside a government hospital in Karak, people gathered to support the wounded. Hani Al-Mbaydeen voiced the shock felt by many. He said the state must investigate where such dark ideas come from and how they enter the minds of their children. The incident continues to ripple through the community, highlighting the vulnerability of religious gatherings.