7 Dead, 40 Injured in Terror Attack at Church in Jordan; Hunt for Gunmen Underway

Seven people were killed and 40 injured after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at Hamoud Church in Jordan's Karak governorate on Friday. Jordanian authorities described the shooting as a terrorist act involving extremists, while security forces launched a search for the attackers.

Public Security Directorate chief Major General Abdallah al-Maaytah said most of those wounded were still receiving treatment and the manhunt was continuing. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh said it was too early to establish whether the attackers had links to known militant groups inside or outside Jordan.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Gunmen Open Fire During Funeral

Witnesses said dozens of people were attending the funeral when the gunmen opened fire for several minutes.

Khaled Burqan, who was present at the funeral, told Jordan's state-owned Al-Mamlaka television that the attackers fired at the gathering. Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, described seeing bloodied people collapse after the shooting.

"People were crying, wailing, screaming — it's hard to describe," Ammareen told the broadcaster.

Security camera footage aired by Al-Mamlaka appeared to show three people firing from a pavement outside the church before taking cover behind trees and a low wall. The footage then showed them running towards the church entrance. Reuters said it verified the video using details of the church's entrance path and surrounding wall.

King Abdullah Vows Tough Response

Jordan's King Abdullah visited Karak hours after the attack and vowed a firm response against those responsible.

"The terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation," the King said in a statement, adding that those seeking to divide Jordanians through violence would face the country's unity.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan condemned the attack in a post on X, calling it the result of a terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He said the authorities would not allow society to be pushed towards such violence.

Jordanian security forces were deployed at the church following the shooting. Reuters footage from the scene showed blood smeared on the floor near the entrance.

UN Chief Condemns Attack on Place of Worship

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence, saying attacks against civilians and places of worship were unacceptable.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also denounced the shooting, describing it on X as a "depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship".

People gathered at a government hospital in Karak to support the injured, expressing shock and demanding an investigation into the extremist ideas behind the attack.

"What happened today has left people unable to speak or raise our voices. But our only reproach to the state is that it must investigate these dark ideas — where they come from and how they enter the minds of our children," Hani Al-Mbaydeen said.