Church is attacked in Jordan in region known for interfaith coexistence

Amman, Jordan | Oct. 23, 2026, 2:47 p.m. ET | 3 min read Jordan, a key U.S. security partner already facing growing threats on its borders, was rocked Friday by a deadly shooting at a church, calling it a “terrorist attack” carried out by jihadi militants.The attack occurred in Hamoud, a village in Jordan’s southern region of Karak, where Christians and Muslims have coexisted for centuries. Three gunmen with semiautomatic weapons burst into a church during a funeral and opened fire on mourners, according to leaked security video footage and eyewitness accounts given to Jordanian media outlets.Seven people were killed and 27 wounded, many of whom were described as in critical condition. Jordan’s King Abdullah, expressing his condolences, denounced the attack in a statement on the social platform X, vowing, “We will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation.”“Those who delude themselves into thinking that they can divide Jordanians with their bullets have no chance in the face of our unity,” he wrote.As of Friday evening, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack. Jordanian security services said operations were ongoing, declining to indicate the attackers’ nationality or background. Within a half hour of the attack, security services placed armed guards on Christian houses of worship across the kingdom. A predominantly Muslim country of 10 million, Jordan is home to some 200,000 Christians.An hour after King Abdullah issued his statement, he traveled to Karak. Dressed in military fatigues, he visited with wounded survivors in the hospital and followed up on security services’ investigations. Alaa Al-Sukhni/ReutersJordanian security forces stand guard outside Al-Karak Government Hospital, where some of those wounded were receiving treatment after gunmen opened fire during a funeral in a church in Karak, Oct. 23, 2026. It was a rare mass casualty attack in the kingdom, an oasis of safety and stability in a troubled region that boasts strong security services, trained by the British and American militaries. It was the deadliest incident since a 2016 Islamic State attack that killed 14.The kingdom, home to some of the world’s oldest Christian communities, relies on religious tourism as a pillar of its economy. It hosts the Vatican-recognized sites of Jesus’ baptism and Mount Nebo, where Moses is believed to have seen the Promised Land.King Abdullah maintains close ties with leaders of several Christian denominations from around the world, and acts as a custodian and advocate for Christian as well as Islamic sites in Jerusalem.The Hashemite monarch, himself a descendant from the Prophet Muhammad, introduced the U.N.-recognized World Interfaith Week in 2010. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September, he said, “We are confronting terrorism in the region and beyond. ... We are protecting Christianity – its communities and heritage – in its native and historic land, while promoting the true image of Islam against the voices of hate.”But it is not only a top-down sentiment.Christians and Muslims have lived side by side in Karak for more than 1,400 years. Residents today pride themselves on their interfaith solidarity and harmony.Over the past two decades, Jordan has been the target of several terrorist attacks. Islamic State militants have targeted Karak multiple times, including a 2016 attack in which gunmen seized the region’s ancient Crusader castle and shot and killed 14 Jordanians, tourists, and security service members before they were subdued.A Monitor reporter on the scene days after that attack witnessed an outpouring of support from Muslim residents for their Christian friends and neighbors. They said they rejected extremism and sectarianism. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. Friday’s attack represents yet another security challenge for Jordan, which hosts U.S. forces and has faced barrages of missiles and drones fired by Iran and its allies targeting both military bases and civilian sites in a bid to pressure the United States to stop the Iran war.Jordan is also concerned with instability and violence in the neighboring Israeli-occupied West Bank, from which it fears settler extremists will push Palestinian refugees into the kingdom. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? 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