Tragedy Strikes Jordan: Gunmen Attack Funeral at Karak Church, Leaving Multiple Dead and Injured

At least six people have been confirmed dead and 28 others wounded following a shooting incident in Jordan’s Karak governorate. The attack occurred during a funeral service at the Hamoud church on Friday, according to a spokesperson for Jordan’s Public Security Directorate. Earlier reports from Jordanian sources indicated seven fatalities.

Survivors recounted hearing an explosion as the funeral procession began, after which masked gunmen reportedly entered the church and opened fire. State-owned television station Al-Mamlaka reported that security forces were dispatched to the scene and are pursuing two suspects who allegedly exited a vehicle before commencing the shooting.

Khaled Burqan, a funeral attendee, informed Al-Mamlaka that dozens were present for the procession. He described one assailant as carrying a pistol and the other a rifle. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Jordanian authorities have not identified any perpetrators.

Such violent incidents are exceptionally rare in Jordan. Christians constitute a minority within Jordan’s population of approximately 11.5 million. The country is home to numerous biblical sites that draw Christian pilgrims from across the globe.

This is not the first security incident in Karak. In 2016, an assault attributed to ISIL (ISIS) resulted in 10 deaths, including security officers and a Canadian tourist, after a group of gunmen occupied a Crusader-era castle. Jordanian security forces eventually neutralized the attackers.

Taylor Luck, senior Middle East correspondent at the Christian Science Monitor, described Karak, located about 120km south of Amman, as a place where Christians and Muslims have coexisted for generations. He noted that the community values its interfaith solidarity and coexistence, suggesting that any attempt to sow division would likely be met with a stronger community response.

Political analyst Xavier Abu Eid told Al Jazeera that the shooting carries broader significance beyond Jordan’s Christian population of about 300,000. It also impacts Amman’s role in public diplomacy as a guardian of both Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. Abu Eid highlighted that King Abdullah II has consistently criticized Israel's actions against religious sites in occupied Palestinian territory, stating that such an attack runs counter to Jordan's international message.