Jordan Gunmen Kill Nine at St George's Church

Nine people died and 40 others suffered injuries when armed men opened fire during a funeral service at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Jordan, on Friday. The incident marks a rare violent strike against the nation's Christian minority, who constitute a small portion of the population.

The attack unfolded in the Karak governorate. Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Maaytah, head of the Public Security Directorate, confirmed that most of the 40 injured were under medical care. He stated that security forces were actively searching for the perpetrators. Health officials corroborated the injury count at 40.

The timeline of events shows a quick escalation. Security camera footage aired on state television displayed three individuals firing from a pavement area. They used trees and a low wall for cover before moving toward the church entrance. Reuters verified the video by matching the entry path and surrounding structural details. Witnesses reported the gunfire lasted for several minutes.

Priest Theodoros Soueiss described the chaos inside the building. He told attendees to get down as bullets flew indiscriminately. Khaled Burqan, a funeral guest, noted that dozens of people were present when the shooting started. Ihab Ammareen described seeing bloodied individuals collapse on the floor while others screamed.

Government leaders responded swiftly to the violence. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan posted on X that the attack resulted from a terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He declared that society would not follow that path. King Abdullah visited Karak within hours of the shooting. He promised the perpetrators would be punished with an iron fist and said those trying to divide Jordanians with bullets had no chance against national unity.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh attributed the attack to extremists. He noted it was too early to determine if the group had ties to organizations inside or outside Jordan. No group had claimed responsibility by the time of reporting. The US embassy in Amman reported that security measures increased at malls, foreign embassies, and other sites across the country on Saturday.

International leaders condemned the violence. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called attacks on civilians and places of worship unacceptable. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, described the event as a depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship. Outside a hospital in Karak, Hani Al-Mbaydeen urged the state to investigate how such dark ideas enter the minds of children.