UAE Condemns Deadly Shooting at Jordanian Church Funeral

The UAE condemned a shooting at a church in Jordan that killed seven people and wounded 34, according to later figures from Jordanian authorities. The attack struck mourners gathered for a funeral at Hamoud Church in Karak. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered condolences to victims’ families and rejected violence, extremism and terrorism. ^1,5

Hamoud Church was holding a funeral when gunmen arrived in a vehicle and opened fire on people inside or near the church grounds, according to witnesses and security officials. Some early reports put the toll at six dead and 28 injured; later updates raised it to seven dead and 34 injured. Security forces began searching for the attackers, who fled. ^3,5,7

The attackers remain unidentified, and authorities have not established a specific motive or named any group behind the shooting. Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen Al Faraya called the assailants a group of extremists. The King condemned what he called a terrorist attack and vowed a forceful response. Karak has a longstanding Christian community in a country where Christians are a minority. The shooting targeted mourners at a Greek Orthodox church, striking both a place of worship and a funeral gathering. ^8,14

The uncertain motive matters: officials have used strong terms, but available reports do not prove who carried out the attack or why. Jordanian authorities are continuing their search and investigation. The country’s Public Security Directorate said it would share findings as they develop. Those findings will be important in identifying the gunmen and clarifying whether the attack targeted the church community. ^5,12