Karak church attack leaves seven dead

Seven people died and at least 34 were injured when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Hmoud, central Jordan, on Friday. The incident occurred in the Karak governorate. Officials reported that the attackers arrived by car, breached the building, and fled. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the perpetrators as a "group of extremists" during a press conference. He called the incident "painful and horrific" and stated that authorities were working to arrest those involved. Al-Faraya labeled the event "unparalleled in the history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan." King Abdullah II said the government would "confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties." Early reports varied on the death count, with a government spokesperson initially citing six victims before officials confirmed the toll at seven.

CCTV footage reviewed by the BBC shows three men approaching the church from a road. Two enter what appears to be a vehicle entrance, retreat briefly, and return with a third man. All three carry handguns. Other footage from the scene shows dead and wounded individuals on the ground in a state of disarray. Witnesses inside the church reported panic as people hid under pews and moved away from windows. Prayers and screams echoed through the building during the exchange.

Khalid al-Mdanat, who was present at the church, told BBC Arabic that the shooting lasted approximately 15 minutes. He said people attempted to flee while gunfire was still active. Al-Mdanat noted that the gunmen exited through the main doors and escaped in a pickup truck, firing as they drove away. Another witness described the sound of the gunfire as resembling the start of a war. A woman inside the church said the shooting began seconds after a prayer and continued to escalate for 10 minutes. Upon exiting, she reported that bodies were scattered across the courtyards.

Security forces closed roads near a hospital in Karak where the wounded were treated. Crowds gathered at the hospital entrance, creating a tense atmosphere marked by crying and shouting. Many residents expressed shock and anger, with some voicing frustration over what they described as a failure to take a tougher approach toward terrorists. Security was tightened further ahead of King Abdullah II's visit to see the injured patients.

Jordan is a majority Muslim country with a sizable Christian community in Karak. While such violence is rare, the nation has experienced deadly attacks in the past. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the incident as a "heinous terrorist attack." He said the violence "violated the sanctity of death and funeral mourners" and "contradicts all religious and humanitarian values," according to Lebanese media reports.