Event: Jordan

People gather outside Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak, on October 23, 2026, where wounded people have been admitted following the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate | Photo Credit: AFP Two people wounded in Friday's (October 24, 2026) attack on a church in southern Jordan have died of their injuries, bringing the number of people killed to nine, health minister Ibrahim al-Bdour told AFP."The number of victims who died in the terrorist attack on the church in the village of Al-Hamoud in Karak has risen to nine following the death on Saturday of a second casualty who had been in a critical condition," the Minister said.“Another 25 people remain hospitalised,” he added.Gunmen stormed the compound of a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate during a funeral procession on Friday (October 23) and opened fire, Jordanian authorities said.King Abdullah II, who met with victims after the attack, said during a National Security Council meeting on Saturday that "the security and safety of Jordanians are a red line", adding that "the hand of justice will reach every terrorist".He said on Friday (October 23) that the shooting would be met with the "harshest retaliation" possible."A terrorist group has carried out a horrific act, one that is condemned in every respect, and the security services are working round the clock to track them down," interior minister Mazen al-Faraya told a press conference.Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered three days of national mourning from Friday (October 23), with flags to be flown at half-mast over government and public institutions.Karak is home to a significant Christian community in the Muslim-majority kingdom, where Christians make up between two and three percent of the population. Published - October 24, 2026 07:46 pm IST

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180km (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman.Footage broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots. A third man who appears to be holding a semiautomatic rifle then approaches and opens fire, and all three then run toward the church.Video footage taken by witnesses shows broken glass and pools of blood on the floor of the church.Dorgham Halasa, who was among the mourners inside the church, said intense gunfire erupted 15 minutes after the funeral had started, and then people started running. “It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire,” Halasa said.He did not see the gunmen, but said other people reported seeing four of them. The Associated Press could not independently verify the number of assailants, and Jordan’s security services did not immediately release details.A government statement said that the attack was “carried out by unknown assailants,” but didn’t say whether any gunmen were captured or killed. It said that “investigations are under way at full speed”.Jordan declared three days of national mourning, according to the kingdom’s Petra news agency.Karak is home to a minority Christian population.In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks in Karak, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing 10 people, including seven officers, and wounding dozens. Jordanian security forces killed those gunmen after a long standoff.Jordan’s health minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of those wounded are in critical condition.King Abdullah II said on X that Jordan “will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties” and offered his “deepest condolences to the…

Ambulances are parked outside Prince Ali Military Hospital, where people wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church hours earlier are being treated, in Karak, Jordan, on Friday, October 23, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Gunmen killed at least seven people and wounded 10 more in an attack on a church in southern Jordan on Friday (October 23, 2026), authorities said.Two assailants stormed the compound of a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate before opening fire, the public security directorate said in a statement.“Seven people died at least... while around 10 people were wounded, some of them critically,” the directorate said.The gunmen got out of a vehicle and opened fire during a funeral procession, it added, saying that a manhunt was underway for the perpetrators.Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani said security forces were investigating the attack.An eyewitness told the kingdom’s state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka that a vehicle arrived carrying the gunmen, who fired continuously for five minutes before fleeing the scene.Between 150 and 200 people were in and around the church at the time, the witness said, adding that most of the victims were aged between 50 and 70.Karak is home to a significant Christian community in the Muslim-majority kingdom. Published - October 23, 2026 07:07 pm IST