Seven people were killed and 34 wounded when gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hammoud, in Jordan’s Karak Governorate, on Friday, October 23, as King Abdullah II promised a severe response and authorities searched for the attackers.
The attack happened at a church compound about 110 miles south of Amman, where mourners had gathered for a funeral procession. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said the attackers arrived by vehicle, opened fire and fled. A search for the attackers was under way.
The directorate’s chief later confirmed that the number of dead had risen from an earlier count of six, and that 28 people had been injured. Twenty-seven of the wounded were still receiving treatment. State television aired footage that appeared to show three armed men firing near the church before moving toward it.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the attackers as extremists. Authorities had not publicly identified a group or established a motive. No one had claimed responsibility.
King Abdullah condemned the attack and promised the “harshest retaliation.” Officials said the investigation and efforts to find those responsible were continuing.