Forty Injured as Gunmen Fire on Jordan Church Funeral

Forty people were wounded when gunmen opened fire at a funeral in Karak, Jordan, on Friday. Nine others died in the attack on St. George's Greek Orthodox church in the town of Hamoud. The incident is a rare violent act targeting the country's Christian minority.

Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most of the wounded are receiving medical treatment. He stated that authorities are continuing the search for the three attackers. The health minister verified the injury count at 40.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh attributed the shooting to extremists. He noted that it is too early to determine if the group has ties to known organizations inside or outside Jordan. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of the latest reports.

Footage from a security camera at the church 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 video by matching the entry path and surrounding architectural details. Witness accounts describe several minutes of indiscriminate gunfire that left blood on the floor near the entrance.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan described the event on the social platform X as the result of terrorist ideology. He stated that Jordan will not allow society to follow that path. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised to punish the perpetrators with an iron fist and said that those attempting to divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance against national unity.

The United States embassy in Amman reported on Saturday that security has been stepped up at malls, foreign embassies, and other locations across the country. The US is a leading partner for Jordan in the region. US authorities have repeatedly foiled attempted attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. Jordan was also among the US allies in the region hit by Iranian attacks earlier this year following US and Israel strikes against Iran in February.

UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the violence against civilians and places of worship. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, called the incident a depraved and brutal attack. Outside a government hospital in Karak, Hani Al-Mbaydeen expressed shock at the event. He said the state must investigate where such dark ideas come from and how they enter the minds of children.