Three gunmen fire on church in Jordan, killing nine during funeral

Nine people died and 40 others were wounded when three gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak governorate, on Friday. The shooting occurred while mourners gathered inside and outside the building. Security forces later found blood smeared on the floor near the entrance.

Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most of the 40 injured were receiving treatment. He stated that the search for the attackers continued after the incident. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the perpetrators as extremists, though he noted it was too early to determine if they had ties to specific groups inside or outside Jordan. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

The incident followed a pattern of rare violence against the country's Christian minority. Footage from a security camera, verified by Reuters, showed the three shooters firing from a pavement while sheltering behind trees and a low wall. After several minutes of gunfire, the men ran toward the church entrance. The health minister confirmed the injury count at 40.

Witnesses described a scene of sudden chaos. Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he and others urged people to get down as bullets flew. "A sense of panic took hold among those present," Soueiss said. "The gunfire was indiscriminate, and you never knew where a bullet might land." Another attendee, Ihab Ammareen, recalled seeing bloodied people collapse. "People were crying, wailing, screaming, it's hard to describe," he said.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack resulted from a terrorist ideology. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist. The monarch stated that those who try to divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance against national unity.

Security measures have increased across the country. The US embassy in Amman reported stepped up protection at malls, foreign embassies, and other locations on Saturday. Outside a government hospital in Karak, Hani Al-Mbaydeen expressed shock. He called for the state to investigate how dark ideas enter the minds of children.

Jordan remains a US ally in the region and was hit by Iranian attacks earlier this year. The country is home to several biblical sites that draw global pilgrims. Christians make up a small portion of the population. The UN Secretary General and the US ambassador to the UN both condemned the violence against a place of worship.