Three men shatter Karak church peace in deadly 15-minute ambush

Three unidentified men killed seven people and wounded at least 34 others during a funeral service at a church in Hmoud, Jordan, on Friday. The attackers arrived by car, entered the building, opened fire, and fled the scene. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Witnesses described the attack as lasting approximately 15 minutes. Khalid al-Mdanat, who was present, stated that people attempted to flee while gunfire was still active. He noted that the gunmen exited through the main doors and escaped in a pickup truck while firing. Another witness described the sound as resembling the start of a war. A woman inside the church reported that shooting began seconds after a prayer and continued to escalate for ten continuous minutes. When she exited, she found bodies in the courtyards.

CCTV footage verified by the BBC shows three men approaching the church on foot. Two initially entered a vehicle entrance, retreated, and returned with a third man. All three appeared to carry handguns. Separate footage of the aftermath shows dead and injured individuals on the ground.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya held a news conference to address the incident. He referred to the perpetrators as a group of extremists and described the event as painful, horrific, and unparalleled in the history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Authorities are working to arrest those involved. Initial reports of the death toll varied, with a government spokesperson initially stating six dead before officials confirmed seven.

King Abdullah II vowed that authorities would confront the terrorist act with the harshest penalties. Security forces tightened patrols around a hospital in Karak treating the wounded. Roads near the facility were closed, forcing visitors to walk the final stretch. The atmosphere was tense as families mourned, with many residents expressing shock and anger. Some voiced frustration regarding what they called a failure to take a tougher approach against terrorists.

Karak is home to a large Christian community in the majority Muslim country. While such violence is rare in Jordan, deadly attacks have occurred previously. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the incident as a heinous terrorist attack. He stated that the violence violated the sanctity of death and contradicted religious and humanitarian values.