Gunmen Kill Seven at Karak Church Funeral in Central Jordan

Seven people died and at least 34 others were injured on Friday when gunmen attacked a funeral service at a church in Hmoud, located in the Karak governorate of central Jordan. The assault forced mourners to hide under pews and away from windows as bullets struck the building. Initial reports on the death toll varied, with officials first confirming six victims before updating the count to seven.

CCTV footage reviewed by the BBC shows three men approaching the church from a road. Two of the attackers entered what appears to be a vehicle entrance, retreated briefly, and then re-emerged with a third man. All three were carrying handguns. Witness Khalid al-Mdanat stated that the shooting lasted approximately 15 minutes. He described the attackers leaving through the main doors and escaping in a pickup truck while firing their weapons.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya addressed reporters at a news conference, identifying the perpetrators as a group of extremists. He characterized the event as painful, horrific, and unparalleled in the history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. King Abdullah II later declared that authorities would confront the terrorist act with the harshest penalties available under the law.

Inside the church, witnesses described a scene of panic. One woman reported that gunfire began seconds after a prayer and continued to escalate for ten continuous minutes. When she exited the building, she observed bodies lying in the courtyards. Another witness described the sound of the shooting as if a war had started.

Security forces closed nearby roads to manage the influx of wounded, forcing people to park their vehicles and walk to the hospital in Karak. The area surrounding the medical facility was heavily secured ahead of King Abdullah II’s visit to see the injured patients. Families gathered at the hospital entrance, displaying a mix of shock, fear, and anger. Some residents expressed frustration, citing what they perceived as a failure to take a tougher approach toward terrorists.

The Karak region maintains a large Christian community within Jordan’s majority Muslim population. While deadly attacks are rare in the country, this incident marks a sharp increase in violence. President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon condemned the event as a heinous terrorist attack. He stated that the violence violated the sanctity of death and mourners, contradicting religious and humanitarian values.