Karak Church Shooting Leaves 6 Dead, 28 Injured

At least six people were killed and 28 injured when gunmen opened fire at a funeral at Hammoud Church in Karak governorate, southern Jordan, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, Arab News reported. The Public Security Directorate spokesperson confirmed the casualties and called the attackers “unknown assailants.” Security forces deployed at the church and pursued the suspects, according to Al-Mamlaka. The reports gave no claim of responsibility.

The Attack and the Official Account

Witnesses told the official al-Mamlaka broadcaster that two men opened fire for several minutes during the funeral. One witness said a vehicle brought the gunmen to the scene. They fired continuously for five minutes, then fled. Between 150 and 200 people were inside and around the church at the time, the witness said. Most victims were aged between 50 and 70.

Early reports gave different casualty figures. Arab News reported at least six dead and 28 injured, citing the Public Security Directorate spokesperson. Earlier reports said seven people had been killed. Al Arabiya, citing a security source who spoke to state television, also reported at least seven dead and about 10 wounded, some critically. Haaretz reported that state television, citing the Public Security Directorate, said unidentified gunmen opened fire inside a church, causing an unspecified number of deaths and injuries.

The figures don't match, and the reports offered no explanation for the differences. Some of the wounded were critically injured. The Public Security Directorate spokesperson confirmed at least six killed and 28 injured; other figures appeared in earlier or separately attributed accounts.

Security Forces and the Investigation

Al-Mamlaka reported that security forces deployed at the church and pursued the suspects. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani said security forces were investigating. The reports didn't name suspects or describe arrests, and they offered no further details about the investigation.

The official information available so far is limited. Witnesses described two gunmen and a vehicle; authorities confirmed casualties, said the assailants were unidentified, and reported that security forces were pursuing them. No group claimed responsibility in the reports. The gap between witness accounts and official figures remains unresolved in the available coverage.

That distinction matters: witnesses and state-linked broadcasters provided the first public details, while authorities control the investigation and the pursuit of suspects. The reports describe those actions but offer no further account of what investigators have established. There's no basis in the available reporting to assign responsibility beyond the confirmed account that gunmen opened fire.

A Funeral Interrupted

Karak is home to a significant Christian community in the Muslim-majority kingdom. The attack struck a funeral at a church, where as many as 150 to 200 people were inside and around the building, according to one witness. The reporting doesn't identify the deceased whose funeral was taking place or provide further details about those killed and injured.

For now, the facts are stark and limited. A witness said gunfire lasted five minutes. People gathered for a funeral were killed and wounded, and security forces are pursuing suspects as an investigation continues. The authorities haven't publicly identified the attackers in the reports, and no claim of responsibility has emerged there.