Gunmen Kill Nine at Jordan Church Funeral, Wound 40

Nine people died and 40 were injured when gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at a church in Jordan on Friday. The attack targeted St. George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, located in the Karak governorate. It is a rare incident aimed at the country's Christian minority.

Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, stated that most of the wounded are receiving treatment. He confirmed that a search for the shooters is ongoing. The health minister verified the number of injured at 40.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh attributed the attack to extremists. He noted that it is too early to determine if the gunmen have ties to known groups inside or outside Jordan. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting so far.

Footage from a security camera at the church showed three individuals firing from a pavement. They used trees and a low wall for cover before running toward the entrance. Reuters verified the video by matching the entry path and surrounding architectural details.

Witnesses described the scene as chaotic. Priest Theodoros Soueiss told attendees to get down. He said, "A sense of panic took hold among those present." Khaled Burqan, a funeral attendee, said the gunmen fired for several minutes. Another witness, Ihab Ammareen, described seeing bloodied people collapse on the floor.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said on X that the attack was a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist and said those who try to divide Jordanians with bullets have no chance.

Security forces were deployed outside the church, where blood was visible on the floor near the entrance. The US embassy in Amman said security had been increased at malls, embassies, and other sites on Saturday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the violence unacceptable, while US Ambassador Mike Waltz described it as a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship. Jordan remains a stable US ally in the region, though authorities have foiled militant attacks in recent years.