Jordan's King Abdullah II has vowed the harshest penalties against those responsible for a deadly shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in the country's Karak governorate, where at least seven people were killed and 34 others injured during a funeral gathering on Friday.
In a strongly worded post on X, the Jordanian monarch condemned the attack and warned that attempts to divide the country through violence would fail in the face of national unity.
“The blood of Jordanians is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against anyone who oversteps against this country,” King Abdullah said, offering condolences to the families of those killed and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
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The terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation. Those who delude themselves into thinking that they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance in the face of our unity. All Jordanians, from north to south, are partners in land and fate, and nothing stands between them. Our deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured. Every Jordanian life is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation
— عبدالله بن الحسين (@KingAbdullahII) October 23, 2026
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The King also stressed that Jordanians, from the country's north to its south, stood united, adding that no act of violence would break the bonds between them.
The attack drew condemnation from the United States, with US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz expressing concern over the killings and calling for an end to attacks against Christians.
“Praying for the victims, their families, and all those affected by this depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship,” Waltz wrote on X. He added that attacks on Christians around the world continued to escalate and “must be stopped”.
Devastating news coming out of Karak, Jordan. Praying for the victims, their families, and all those affected by this depraved and brutal attack on a house of worship. Attacks on Christians continue to escalate worldwide and must be stopped. https://t.co/j3VzQR1tbA
— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) October 23, 2026
According to Al Jazeera, the shooting occurred in the village of Hamoud in Karak, where dozens of people had gathered for a funeral procession. Jordan's Public Security Directorate chief, Obaidullah Al-Maaytah, confirmed seven fatalities at a press conference and said 27 of the injured were receiving hospital treatment.
Survivors told Al Jazeera that an explosion was heard as the procession began, followed by two masked gunmen entering the church and opening fire for several minutes.
Jordan's state-owned Al-Mamlaka television reported that the suspects had emerged from a vehicle before launching the attack. Funeral attendee Khaled Burqan told the broadcaster that one attacker carried a pistol and the other a rifle.
Authorities launched a search for the assailants, with officials vowing to bring those responsible to justice. No group had claimed responsibility, and investigators had yet to establish a motive or publicly identify the suspects.
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Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the incident as an unprecedented terrorist attack, saying the country would not be drawn into a cycle of terrorism and violence.
The shooting has raised concerns in a country where such attacks are relatively rare. Jordan's Christian community numbers approximately 300,000 in a population of around 11.5 million, and the kingdom is home to important Christian and Muslim religious sites.
Al- Jazeera reported that Karak has experienced deadly violence before. In 2016, an attack by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants killed 10 people, including security personnel and a Canadian tourist.
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