Three gunmen killed seven at Jordan church funeral

Seven people died and at least 34 were injured on Friday when three armed men opened fire at a funeral service inside a church in Hmoud, central Jordan. The shooting lasted approximately 15 minutes before the attackers fled the scene in a vehicle.

Verified CCTV footage shows the three men arriving by car and approaching the church grounds. Two initially entered what appears to be a vehicle entrance, retreated briefly, and then returned with the third man. All three were carrying handguns. The attackers exited through the main doors and escaped in a pickup truck while firing their weapons.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya identified the perpetrators as a group of extremists during a news conference. He described the incident as painful and horrific, noting that it was unparalleled in the history of the Hashemite Kingdom. Authorities are currently working to arrest those responsible, though no specific group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

King Abdullah II stated that authorities would confront the terrorist act with the harshest penalties. Early reports of the death toll were inconsistent, with a government spokesperson initially citing six deaths before officials confirmed the final count of seven.

Witnesses inside the church described a scene of panic as mourners hid under pews and moved away from windows. Khalid al-Mdanat, who was present, said people tried to flee while shooting was still active. Another witness described the sound of the gunfire as if a war had started. A woman inside the church noted that the situation escalated for 10 continuous minutes before she exited to find bodies in the courtyards.

Security forces closed nearby roads and established a heavy perimeter around a hospital in Karak treating the wounded. Residents expressed frustration at what they viewed as a failure to take a tougher approach toward terrorists. King Abdullah II is scheduled to visit the injured patients in the coming days.

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun condemned the event as a heinous terrorist attack. He said the violence violated the sanctity of death and funeral mourners, contradicting religious and humanitarian values. The attack occurred in a region with a sizeable Christian community within a majority Muslim country, where such violence remains rare.