At least 7 people were killed and 34 others were wounded after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan on October 23, 2026. [1, 2]
Overview of the Attack
- Location: St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hammoud, located in Jordan's southern Karak Governorate (roughly 180 kilometres south of the capital, Amman).
- Date and Time: Friday, October 23, 2026, while mourners had gathered inside and outside the church for a funeral service.
- Casualties: 7 people dead and 34 injured, with many treated at Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Details of the Incident
- The Attack: Surveillance and broadcast footage captured multiple armed individuals approaching the courtyard of the church and opening fire on a crowd of more than 150 mourners. Witnesses reported that the shooting lasted for several minutes, forcing terrified attendees to hide near the altar to survive. [1, 2, 3]
- Response and Reactions:
- Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan condemned the incident on X, stating that the attack stemmed from a "terrorist ideology and blind extremism".
- King Abdullah II visited the wounded at Prince Ali Military Hospital and vowed that Jordan would confront the act with the harshest penalties.
- Regional leaders, including Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, condemned the violence for violating the sanctity of a funeral. [1, 2, 3]
- Context: Large-scale sectarian or militant attacks on churches are rare in Jordan, which is widely considered a stable country in the region, though authorities have previously disrupted plots by Islamist extremists. The exact identities and full motives of the gunmen remain under investigation. [1, 2, 3]
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