October 25, 2026
Accurate and shocking details were revealed about the armed attack that targeted mourners on Friday inside the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in the village of Hammoud in Karak Governorate, southern Jordan. The attack resulted in the killing of at least 7 people and the injury of 34 others, according to data from the Jordanian Public Security Directorate, while the security services continue massive raids to pursue the perpetrators, whose identities have not yet been officially revealed.
According to a report by journalist Mohammed Tarawneh on the Al Jazeera Net website, the attack was carried out by three gunmen who arrived at the church in a blue pickup truck. One of the perpetrators was masked and carrying a Kalashnikov rifle, while the other two appeared with their faces uncovered and each carrying a pistol, with a bag on the back of one of the attackers. The bag and pockets of the militants contained large quantities of ammunition, which enabled them to continue shooting and change weapons magazines repeatedly during the attack.
The bloody moments occurred around two o’clock in the afternoon, only about ten minutes after the body of Mrs. Mithal Al-Hilsa, known as “Umm Laith,” arrived in the church courtyard for the funeral ceremony. Bullets suddenly rained down from the side of the main entrance where the participants were gathering, causing a state of panic and stampede, prompting those present to try to take shelter inside the building or move away from the doors and windows.
The information revealed extremely cruel criminal behavior, as the attackers not only opened fire randomly, but also targeted people who had fallen to the ground again, shooting at them from zero distance to ensure their death. It was found that all the victims died near the main entrance to the church, which was founded in 1985 and is located in the village of Hammoud, administratively affiliated with the Al-Qasr District, northeast of Karak, and at a distance of about 4.7 kilometers from the village of Al-Jadidah.
In the context of investigations, the security services are carrying out searches and raids in a number of villages in Karak Governorate, specifically in the Mu’tah area, in search of those suspected of involvement in the attack. While information is circulating in local circles that the suspects come from one village and clan within the governorate, the official authorities have not confirmed this information and have not announced the names of the perpetrators. However, the official authorities have confirmed that the attackers carry a takfiri ideology without revealing their connection to a specific organization.
In terms of reactions, a post attributed to the two brothers of one of the defendants was spread across social media, in which they announced their denunciation and disavowal of the crime. It said: “We disavow and denounce the heinous terrorist and criminal act they committed with our Christian brothers and neighbors in the village of Hamoud.”
As for security, the delay in carrying out some raids has raised questions about the reasons for the delay in storming locations where wanted persons are suspected of being present. Estimates indicate that the militants may possess additional weapons or be barricaded inside buildings equipped for confrontation, prompting security forces to be cautious in order to avoid new losses among civilians or security forces, without the Jordanian authorities having issued an official confirmation of these considerations or any intentional delay.
These developments recall bloody security experiences that Jordan went through previously. The most notable of these is the events in the village of Qarifla in Karak on December 20, 2016, when a wanted man linked to the Karak Castle attack cell barricaded himself inside his house and opened fire from the roof, killing 4 security personnel, including 3 gendarmes. In August 2018, a confrontation took place in the city of Salt with a cell linked to a bombing that targeted a security patrol near the Fuheis Festival. During the raid, a bomb-laden building exploded, killing 4 security personnel and wounding 21 others, in addition to killing 3 militants and arresting 5. In December 2022, the Deputy Director of Ma’an Police, Colonel Abdul Razzaq Al-Dalabih, was killed with a bullet to the head while dealing with riots in the Al-Husseiniyah area, and later The suspect was killed during a security operation that also resulted in the killing of 3 security personnel and the injury of 5 others.
While security pursuits continue to reach the perpetrators, prevent more victims, and preserve the unity of Jordanian society in the face of terrorism, the identity of the perpetrators and their organizational connections remain officially unknown, amid security fears that have brought to the fore memories of previous stations that the Kingdom experienced.
