Faith

Gunmen kill seven at church funeral in Jordan; manhunt underway

Seven people were killed and dozens wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan's Karak governorate on Friday, the head of the country's Public Security Directorate said.

The attack struck the Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hmoud, in southern Jordan, during a funeral gathering, CNN reported. The gunmen fled the scene, and security forces launched a manhunt. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Authorities described the attackers as “extremists” but said it was too early to determine whether they had links to known groups inside or outside Jordan, Reuters reported. Sectarian attacks are rare in Jordan, where Christians make up about 2% of the population.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman said security had been stepped up at malls, foreign embassies and other locations across Jordan after the attack, and offered condolences to the victims and survivors. Jordan's government declared three days of mourning, with flags at half-staff over public buildings.

Condemnation also came from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which leads Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus, and from Cairo's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's top learning center, whose Grand Imam said the crime “contradicts the teachings of the Abrahamic religions.”

Sources: Reuters (Oct 23–24, 2026); CNN (Oct 23, 2026).

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