Devastating Toll After Attack on Jordanian Funeral

Seven people have died and forty others were injured in a violent assault on a religious service in the Jordanian town of Karak.

The attack took place on Friday at a Greek Orthodox church located approximately ninety kilometers south of the capital, Amman. Jordanian state television broadcasted footage of the initial moments of the incident. The video shows two men carrying pistols approaching the building and discharging their weapons. A third individual, holding a semiautomatic rifle, then advanced and fired before all three suspects ran toward the church. Witness recordings captured the aftermath inside, revealing shattered glass and blood pooling on the floor.

Dorgham Halasa, a mourner present inside the church, stated that intense gunfire began roughly fifteen minutes after the funeral commenced. He described the scene as chaotic, noting that attendees quickly started to run. Although Halasa did not personally see the attackers, he reported that other congregants believed there were four assailants. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the exact number of gunmen, and Jordanian security services have not yet provided specific details on the suspects.

The Jordanian government issued a statement describing the incident as an act carried out by unknown assailants. Officials have not confirmed whether any of the shooters have been captured or killed, but they emphasized that investigations are proceeding at full speed. The kingdom has declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragedy.

Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour provided an update on the casualties, noting that two of the wounded individuals remain in critical condition. The incident has drawn swift responses from the highest levels of leadership. King Abdullah II posted on the social platform X that the nation will confront this terrorist act with the harshest penalties. He extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and expressed wishes for a swift recovery for those injured.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan addressed a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening. He characterized the attack as a manifestation of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. Hassan assured the public that the attackers would face punishment and that legal measures would be taken against anyone seeking to introduce extremism into the country.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population and has a history of significant violence. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks in the area, including at a nearby Crusader castle. That incident resulted in the deaths of ten people, seven of whom were officers, and left dozens wounded. Security forces engaged the gunmen in a long standoff before neutralizing them. The current attack has generated widespread condemnation from across the region.

Leaders from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Oman have expressed their grief and solidarity. In Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, a prominent Sunni Muslim institution, described the shooting as a heinous terrorist attack. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke by phone with his Jordanian counterpart to affirm Iraq's support in the face of the threat. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also voiced strong condemnation, noting through spokesman Stephane Dujarric that the attack was especially heinous given its timing during a funeral. The Secretary-General called for all those responsible to be identified and held to account.