The shooting occurred about 15 minutes after the funeral service began, according to Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside the church. Halasa described “intense gunfire” that caused attendees to flee. Footage broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two individuals, appearing to hold pistols, approaching the church and firing shots. A third individual, appearing to carry a semi-automatic rifle, subsequently approached and fired before the group ran toward the building. Witness video captured broken glass and blood on the church floor.
A government statement attributed the attack to “unknown assailants” and stated that investigations are “under way at full speed.” Authorities did not immediately confirm whether any suspects had been captured or killed. While Halasa reported that other mourners saw four gunmen, the Associated Press could not independently verify the number of assailants, and Jordan’s security services did not release specific details on the count. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour stated that two of the wounded are in critical condition.
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking during a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, characterized the attack as the result of “terrorist ideology and blind extremism.” He stated that the assailants would be punished and that legal measures would be taken against those seeking to introduce extremism. King Abdullah II said on social media that Jordan would confront the “terrorist act” with the “harshest penalties” and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
The incident follows a series of attacks in Karak in 2016, where gunmen ambushed police at a Crusader castle and other locations, killing 10 people, including seven officers and a Canadian tourist. In that previous incident, security forces killed the gunmen after a standoff. Regional leaders, including officials from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Oman, have condemned the killings. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the attack “especially heinous” and urged that those responsible be held to account. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, also offered condolences, describing the event as a “heinous terrorist attack.”
