Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, killing worshippers and mourners gathered to bury the dead. Authorities initially said seven people were killed and 40 others were wounded in the attack. A later report said the death toll rose to nine on October 24, 2026.
Karak is about 90 kilometers, or 55 miles, south of Amman. Jordan declared three days of national mourning after the shooting. The motivation for the attack was initially unknown.
A survivor later said people crawled for their lives while the gunmen returned and fired more bullets. The account shows the terror faced by families who had come to a church for a funeral, not a fight.
The attack will be watched far beyond Jordan because violence at a house of worship threatens a basic freedom: the ability to gather, grieve and pray in peace. Governments have a duty to protect churches and other houses of worship from violence, whatever the motive.
