BREAKING: Seven Killed, 34 Wounded in Attack on Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan

HAMMOUD, JORDAN — At least seven people were killed and 34 wounded when gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral procession in Jordan’s Karak governorate on October 23, 2026. Jordanian authorities said the search for the attackers was ongoing, with 27 of the wounded receiving treatment in hospitals.

Survivors reported hearing an explosion as the funeral procession began, followed by masked assailants entering the church and shooting for several minutes. Funeral attendee Khaled Burqan told state-owned Al-Mamlaka television that dozens of people had gathered for the service and that one attacker carried a pistol while the other had a rifle. Authorities said two suspects had exited a vehicle before opening fire.

Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the assault as an unprecedented terrorist attack, while Public Security Directorate chief Obaidullah Al-Maaytah pledged that those responsible would be apprehended. King Abdullah II also vowed severe penalties for the perpetrators. No group had claimed responsibility at the time of reporting.

The attack has shocked a country where such violence is rare and where Christians, numbering approximately 300,000, form a minority within a population of about 11.5 million. The United Arab Emirates condemned the violence, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also denounced the attack, emphasizing the particular gravity of targeting a place of worship during a funeral.

Karak has previously experienced deadly violence, including a 2016 ISIL assault that killed 10 people. Local observers have highlighted the region’s longstanding coexistence between Christian and Muslim communities.

This is a developing story, and UOJ will provide updates as they become available.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Serbian Patr. Porfirije warned that persecution threatened Palestine’s Christian presence.