Seven killed in shooting at church funeral in Jordan

On Friday, October 23, 2026, in the village of Hmoud (Government of Karak, Jordan), unknown armed persons opened fire on those gathered at a funeral in a Greek Orthodox church, killing seven people and wounding at least 34. This attack was one of the bloodiest in the modern history of the country and caused a wide resonance both inside and outside Jordan.

On Friday, in the small village of Hmoud in southern Jordan, home to a sizable Christian community, about 150-200 people gathered at a Greek Orthodox church for a funeral. The mourning ceremony suddenly turned into a tragedy: according to the BBC and Reuters, a car drove up to the building, from which armed people came out. As Khaled Burkan, one of the attendees, testified in an interview with al-Mamlaka TV channel: “Two attackers with a rifle and a pistol shot at the mourners for several minutes.” Later, according to the BBC, CCTV footage confirmed by journalists shows three armed men approaching the church from the road, two of them first entering the grounds, then returning with a third, all armed - one has a long-barreled weapon, presumably a Kalashnikov assault rifle, the other has pistols. They hide behind trees and a low wall, and then open fire at the entrance where people stood.

The shooting lasted about five minutes, witnesses said, and was accompanied by panic and chaos. “It was a massacre. I could not imagine that this was possible in Jordan, one mourner told al-Mamlaka. After the attack, the attackers fled in a car, and the bodies of the dead and wounded, most of them elderly people aged 50 to 70 years, remained in place. In the early hours, the death toll changed, with seven victims first reported, then six, but authorities later confirmed seven more. According to Reuters, at least 34 people were injured.

Immediately after the attack, security forces arrived at the church, a large-scale operation began to search for criminals who, according to the Interior Ministry, remained at large. A tense atmosphere reigned at the hospital in the city of Karak, where the victims were taken: armed police officers were on duty at the entrance, and relatives of the dead and wounded expressed anger and despair. Photos from Getty and AFP captured security personnel grieving and guarding the building.

Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya called the attack “painful and appalling” and said it was “unparalleled in the history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” and described the attackers as “a group of extremists.” King Abdullah II said in a statement: “Whoever thinks that treacherous bullets can divide Jordanians will fail our resilience and unity.” The monarch personally arrived in Karak to visit the wounded and offer condolences to the families of the victims.

Such acts of violence are extremely rare in Jordan, where, despite the complex regional environment, the level of security is traditionally high. However, there have been other tragic episodes in the country's recent history: in November 2005, a series of bombings at Amman hotels, organized by al-Qaeda, killed about 60 people, and in December 2016, in Karak itself, ISIS-linked militants attacked a medieval castle, killing ten people, including a Canadian tourist and police officers. The Christian community, comprising 2–4% of Jordan’s population, has historically played an important role in Karak and the country as a whole, and interfaith relations under the Hashemite dynasty have generally been stable.

The international reaction was swift: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, himself a Christian, called the attack a “monstrous terrorist act” that “defiled the sanctity of death and mourning ceremonies, contrary to all religious and humanitarian values.” At the time of publication, none of the radical groups claimed responsibility.

Analytics and forecast:

Jordan remains a key ally of the West and the United States in the region, borders Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and plays an important role in ensuring stability in the Middle East. A new attack on the Christian community could pose a challenge to interfaith peace and heighten fears of extremist groups seeking to destabilize the country. Authorities with significant counterterrorism experience are likely to take tough action against radical networks to prevent such tragedies from happening again and to preserve trust both at home and among international partners.

Summary Data

Dead 7

Wounded ≥34

Assaulters 3 (armed with pistols and assault rifle)

Duration of attack ~5 minutes