Gunmen kill six at church funeral in Jordan, updated official toll says

Gunmen attacked mourners at a church funeral in Karak, southern Jordan, according to reports on October 23, 2026, with the latest official account putting the toll at six dead and 28 injured. Jordan’s state news agency Petra reported the updated figures, citing the Public Security Directorate.²³⁴

Official figures updated

Petra’s report, published later on October 23 than the other accounts, gave a lower death toll than the seven initially reported by authorities, according to the Associated Press. AP’s earlier account put the number of wounded at 34. The BBC separately reported at least seven deaths and 10 injuries.¹²⁴

The Public Security Directorate said the investigation remained in progress and that its findings would be made public when available, according to Petra. That update supplied the latest official casualty figures, while earlier reporting described both a deployment of security forces and a pursuit of the attackers.¹³⁴

Accounts of the shooting

AP identified the site as a Greek Orthodox church. According to the BBC’s account, dozens of people had gathered inside for the funeral when two unidentified gunmen arrived by car, entered the church and opened fire before fleeing. The BBC reported that security forces were subsequently sent to the area.¹²

The BBC cited mourner Khaled Burqan, who spoke to Jordan’s state-run al-Mamlaka television, as describing two attackers carrying a rifle and a pistol and shooting at mourners for several minutes. AP, however, reported that television footage appeared to show three attackers, leaving differing accounts of how many people took part.¹²

The BBC also described footage believed to show the aftermath as apparently depicting people killed or wounded inside scenes of disorder. Its account said nobody had claimed responsibility by the time it was published. The New York Times reported that security forces were pursuing the gunmen.¹³

King condemns attack

King Abdullah II condemned the shooting and pledged harsh penalties, according to AP. The BBC reported that interior ministry officials were expected to hold a briefing. Petra’s later account said investigative findings would be announced when available.¹²⁴

Karak has a Christian community with a long history, according to The New York Times. The BBC described that community as sizeable within majority-Muslim Jordan and said violence of this kind was rare in the country.¹³