AMMAN: Gunmen killed at least seven people and wounded dozens at a church in southern Jordan on Friday, authorities said, with the king vowing retaliation for the rare attack on Christians in the majority Muslim kingdom.

Assailants stormed the compound of a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate and opened fire, authorities said.

The gunmen got out of a vehicle and started shooting during a funeral procession, the public security directorate said in a statement, adding that a manhunt was underway for the perpetrators.

“The terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation,” King Abdullah II said in a post on X.

“We will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation.” According to images from state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka, the king arrived in Karak on Friday evening.

After authorities gave a death toll of six, Director of Public Security Major General Abdullah Al-Maaytah said it had risen to seven with 34 injured, 27 of whom were still receiving treatment.

Footage aired by Al-Mamlaka showed two gunmen dressed in casual clothes and brandishing pistols, with a third carrying a long gun as they opened fire on the church.

A witness said the gunmen fired continuously for five minutes before fleeing. Between 150 and 200 people were in and around the church at the time, the witness said.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026