SEVEN people were killed, and at least 34 others were injured after a group of armed men opened fire at a church in Hmoud, in the Karak governorate, Amman, on Friday.
The gunmen, whose identities have not yet been established, reportedly arrived by car before entering the church, opening fire, and subsequently fleeing the scene.
In a press conference, Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya stated that authorities are working to track down and apprehend the perpetrators, whom he described as a group of extremists.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage shows three armed men walking from the road toward the church.
Two of the attackers were seen heading toward the vehicle entrance of the church grounds before briefly retreating and returning with a third man; all three appeared to be carrying handguns.
Separate footage, believed to have been captured after the attack, shows a chaotic scene with several bodies and injured victims lying on the ground.
Witnesses described a state of panic inside the church, with people taking cover under pews and moving away from windows to protect themselves.
Prayers and screams could be heard throughout the building as individuals attempted to escape.
A witness, Khalid al-Mdanat, who was inside the church, stated that the attack lasted for approximately 15 minutes.
"People began shoving one another and throwing themselves to the ground.
"Some took cover, some embraced those who had already died, while others held their sons tightly in their arms.
"Some even pulled their children along to escape, while others clung to the companions they were with inside the church," he said.
He added that the gunman exited through the church door and fled in a pickup truck, all the while continuing to open fire. – October 24, 2026
