Authorities in Jordan have launched a widespread manhunt following a deadly assault on a church compound in the southern governorate of Karak on Friday. According to the kingdom’s public security directorate, gunmen opened fire on a crowd gathered for a funeral procession, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. The death toll was initially reported as seven before being revised downward by security officials.
The attack occurred in the village of Hammoud, located approximately 110 miles south of the capital, Amman. Hammoud is situated within the Karak governorate, a region known for its significant Christian population within the Muslim-majority kingdom. Witnesses and security officials reported that two assailants arrived at the Greek Orthodox church compound in a vehicle before initiating the shooting.
Eyewitness accounts provided to state media described a harrowing scene where the gunmen fired continuously for approximately five minutes. At the time of the shooting, between 150 and 200 people were estimated to be in and around the church grounds. The victims were predominantly older members of the community, with reports indicating that most of those killed were between the ages of 50 and 70.
Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani confirmed that security forces are actively investigating the circumstances of the attack. While the assailants fled the scene in their vehicle immediately following the shooting, the public security directorate stated that a large-scale search operation is currently underway to apprehend the perpetrators. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the violence.
This incident has brought renewed security concerns to Karak, a region that has faced extremist violence in the past. In 2016, the area was the site of a high-profile series of attacks when gunmen ambushed police and eventually took refuge in a historic Crusader castle popular with international tourists. That standoff resulted in 10 deaths, including seven police officers and a Canadian tourist, before security forces killed the attackers.
Friday’s shooting during a religious service marks a rare and serious breach of security in the kingdom. As the investigation continues, security forces have set up perimeters and are conducting searches across the governorate to locate the suspects involved in the Hammoud shooting. Government officials have not yet commented on a specific motive for the attack, but the investigation remains ongoing.
