Jordan Church Attack: 7 Killed as Gunmen Fire at Karak Funeral

At least seven people were killed after unknown gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan’s Karak province on Friday, October 23, a relative of one of the deceased told The National.

The shooting happened at the funeral of a woman in Hamoud, a Christian village north of Karak. According to the relative, two gunmen in a vehicle fired at the mourners and then fled the scene. The attackers have not been identified, and their motive is unknown.

Jordan’s state-run Petra News Agency confirmed that the incident took place and that there were casualties. State-owned broadcaster Al Mamlaka reported that at least seven people had died and more than 10 others were wounded. The final toll may change as details emerge, since the story is still developing and some of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.

Live footage from the scene showed security personnel deployed in the area, as authorities work to track down the assailants. Officials have not yet released a detailed account of how the attack unfolded or whether any suspects have been detained.

A rare attack on a place of worship

Karak province lies about 100 kilometres from the capital Amman. The region is best known for its Crusader-era castle and is a popular stop for visitors. It has seen violence before: in December 2016, gunmen carried out a deadly attack in Karak city, which left at least 10 people dead. Officials have not linked Friday’s shooting to that earlier incident, and nothing so far suggests a connection.

Jordan is widely viewed as one of the more stable countries in a volatile region, and attacks on worshippers are rare. A shooting at a funeral, a moment of private grief for families, is likely to send shockwaves through the country’s Christian community and raise fresh questions about the security of religious gatherings, especially in smaller towns and villages.