Madar (International) - Seven people were killed and 34 injured on Friday, October 23, 2026, when gunmen opened fire on a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hmoud, in Jordan's southern Karak governorate, Public Security Director Obaidallah Maaytah said, according to Deutsche Welle, citing news agencies.
Twenty-seven of the injured were receiving hospital treatment, and between 150 and 200 people were inside the church at the time, a witness told state media. According to the BBC, the gunmen arrived by car, entered the church and opened fire before fleeing; no one has claimed the attack, and the death toll was revised twice before settling at seven.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya blamed "a group of extremists", describing the attack as "painful and horrific" and "unparalleled in the history" of the kingdom. Jordanian outlet Roya News quoted him as saying the authorities had the names of suspects but would not disclose them for now, while government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said an investigation had been opened.
King Abdullah II vowed to confront "the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties". "Those who delude themselves into thinking that they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance in the face of our unity," he said. The king visited the wounded in hospital, according to footage released by the Royal Court.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, his spokesperson calling an attack on a place of worship during a funeral procession "especially heinous" and urging that those responsible be held accountable. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also condemned it. Karak governorate, about 180 kilometres south of Amman, has a significant Christian population, and gun attacks of this kind are rare in Jordan.