On Friday, gunmen opened fire during a funeral at Hammoud Church in Karak governorate, Jordan. At least seven people were killed, and 34 others were injured.
Authorities have launched an investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation. Karak has a known minority Christian population.
“Friday’s attack on the Hammoud Church in Jordan is a heinous assault on the universal human right to worship freely,” said Shawn Wright, President of International Christian Concern (ICC). “We stand with those who are mourning following the attack and call for justice to be served, with those responsible to be held accountable through due process.”
Footage on Jordanian state television shows two men with pistols firing shots at the church. Another man with a semiautomatic rifle appears and starts shooting as the three gunmen move toward the church building.
“This is a deeply distressing incident, particularly as it targeted people gathered in a church for a moment of mourning, remembrance, and solidarity,” an ICC staffer in the region said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, the injured, and the wider Christian community in Jordan as they face this painful moment.”
A member of an organization ICC partners with in the region, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that a member of their staff attended the funeral.
“We are profoundly grateful to God that he is safe,” the ICC staffer added. “At the same time, we remain mindful of the families and individuals whose lives have been devastated by this violence.”
King Abdullah II stated on X that Jordan “will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties” and offered his “deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs, and our wishes for recovery to the wounded.
“Jordan has long been an important place of Christian presence and heritage in the Middle East,” the ICC staffer said. “This incident is a sobering reminder of the vulnerability of communities gathered for worship and other religious observances, and of the importance of protecting the freedom of all people to practice their faith and gather in peace.”
