AMMAN — Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, in Jordan’s Karak governorate, on Friday, October 23, killing seven people and wounding dozens. Officials called it a terrorist attack by extremists, King Abdullah II vowed the harshest response, and security was stepped up across the country while a manhunt continued, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. A day later, no group had claimed responsibility and investigators had not publicly identified the attackers.
Read the original Zark News report: Jordan Steps Up Security After Gunmen Kill Seven at Church Funeral in Karak.
Why it matters
Jordan has long presented itself as an island of stability in a turbulent region, and attacks on religious gatherings there are rare. Karak is home to a long-established Christian community, and officials framed the shooting as an attack on national unity, not only on one congregation. That is why the response moved quickly beyond Karak: a nationwide security step-up, three days of national mourning, and a visit by the king within hours, according to the Associated Press.
What we know
- The toll. Public Security Directorate head Obaidullah Al-Maaytah confirmed seven dead and 34 injured, 27 in hospital, according to Reuters. Later Friday, Health Minister Ibrahim Bdour raised the wounded count to 40, with two in critical condition.
- How it unfolded. Mourner Dorgham Halasa told the Associated Press gunfire erupted about 15 minutes into the service. Footage aired by state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka, which Reuters said it verified, showed three people firing from a pavement, sheltering behind trees and a low wall, before running toward the church entrance. Witnesses put 150 to 200 people at the church.
- What officials call it. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described it as a terrorist attack by extremists and called it unprecedented, according to Reuters. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan condemned it as the product of terrorist ideology, and the king said it would be met with the harshest response.
- The manhunt is still on. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and authorities were still searching for the attackers on Saturday. Officials said it was too early to determine whether they had links to known groups inside or outside Jordan, according to Reuters.
- Security was widened nationwide. The U.S. Embassy in Amman said security had been stepped up at malls, foreign embassies and other locations across Jordan, according to Reuters on October 24 — a sign authorities were treating the risk as national while the attackers remained at large.
What we still don’t know
- Who the attackers were. No identities, arrests or confirmed number of gunmen have been released. Verified footage shows three people firing; witnesses variously described two or four. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the number.
- The motive and any group link. Officials call the attackers extremists, but they have presented no public evidence linking them to any organisation, and no group has claimed the attack.
- The final casualty count. The confirmed toll in Reuters and AP reporting is seven dead, with wounded moving from 34 to 40 during Friday. One secondary report on Saturday said the death toll had risen to eight; that was not confirmed in the Reuters or AP reporting reviewed, so it is not treated here as settled.
- Whether there was an explosion. Some survivors described hearing an explosion as the procession began. Officials have not confirmed that detail in the reporting reviewed.
- How the attackers escaped. Accounts say the gunmen arrived by vehicle and fled, but no confirmed escape route, vehicle recovery or arrest has been reported.
What’s next
Everything now turns on the manhunt. An arrest, an identification, or a credible claim of responsibility would answer the central question — whether this was a cell acting on an established group’s orders or attackers with no known affiliation. The toll may also still change, given the two patients reported critical, and the heightened security posture is likely to remain until the attackers are accounted for.
Timeline
- Friday, October 23, 2026 — Gunmen open fire during a funeral at the Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak; mourners say shooting began about 15 minutes into the service and lasted several minutes.
- Friday, October 23 — Al-Maaytah confirms seven dead and 34 injured; al-Faraya calls it an unprecedented terrorist attack by extremists.
- Friday, October 23, later — Health Minister Ibrahim Bdour raises the wounded count to 40, including two in critical condition.
- Friday, October 23 — King Abdullah II visits Karak and vows the harshest response; Jordan declares three days of national mourning.
- Friday, October 23 — No claim of responsibility; officials say it is too early to establish links to known groups.
- Saturday, October 24 — The U.S. Embassy in Amman says security has been stepped up at malls, embassies and other locations across Jordan, according to Reuters; the search continues.
