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Defense & Security · Middle East

Gunmen kill six and injure 28 in church funeral attack in Jordan’s Karak governorate

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan, killing six people, according to a government spokesperson. Another 28 people were injured in the church in Karak governorate, and security forces were deployed to the area.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 4 independent reports from 5 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 4 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 5 entries
5 outlets3 regionsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Center OnlyL 0 · C 4 · R 0 · 1 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Jordan
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Six people were reported killed in the attack (per the-star.co.ke, ewtnnews.com, wral.com).
  • Twenty-eight people were reported injured in the attack (per the-star.co.ke, wral.com).
  • The church is in the Karak governorate of central Jordan (per the-star.co.ke).
  • The gunmen’s identities were not known (per the-star.co.ke).
  • Khaled Burqan, a mourner, told Jordan’s al-Mamlaka state-run TV that dozens of people were inside the church when the shooting began (per the-star.co.ke).
  • Khaled Burqan said two attackers used a rifle and a pistol and fired at mourners for several minutes (per the-star.co.ke).
  • The Star reported that CCTV footage verified by the BBC appeared to show three gunmen approaching the church from a road (per the-star.co.ke).
CASUALTIES
Reported and attributed figures — not independently verified by Updat3
The Star and WRAL report six killed and 28 injured; EWTN News reports at least six killed and dozens wounded; BBC’s headline reports six killed. Yahoo’s headline reports seven killed.
Reported totalReported figure — source not named
6 killed · 28 injured

The brief

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan’s Karak governorate, killing six people and injuring 28, government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said, according to The Star. The outlet reported that the attackers fled after the shooting. The incident occurred in central Jordan; the account did not give a calendar date for the attack.

Khaled Burqan, a mourner, told Jordan’s al-Mamlaka state-run TV that dozens of people were inside the church when the shooting started. Burqan said two attackers, carrying a rifle and a pistol, fired at mourners for several minutes. His account describes two gunmen at the scene, while separate CCTV footage was reported to show three approaching the church.

The Star said the gunmen’s identities were unknown and reported that they arrived by car, began shooting inside the church and escaped. It also said the BBC verified CCTV footage that appeared to show three gunmen moving from a road toward the church. The footage description concerns their approach; it does not establish how many attackers fired inside.

Al-Momani said security forces had been sent to the area following the shooting. He also said the prime minister would chair a meeting of the Security Council, with all ministers attending. The government’s stated actions were the deployment and the planned meeting; the outlet did not report a result from that meeting.

The casualty total is six killed and 28 injured in The Star’s account. WRAL’s headline also gives six killed and 28 wounded, while EWTN News’s headline says at least six were killed and dozens wounded. BBC’s headline attributes six deaths to officials. Yahoo’s headline instead reports seven killed, citing state media, creating a conflicting reported death toll.

The Star quoted al-Momani describing the attack as “heinous.” The account provides no identification of the attackers or explanation for why they opened fire. The next documented steps are the security deployment and the Security Council meeting chaired by the prime minister.

Why it matters

  • The attack killed six people and injured 28 at a funeral in a church in Jordan’s Karak governorate.
  • Mourners faced gunfire inside the church; Khaled Burqan said dozens were present and that the shooting continued for several minutes.
  • Jordan’s government said it deployed security forces to the area and planned a Security Council meeting attended by all ministers.

What to watch next

  • Whether the prime minister chairs the Security Council meeting with all ministers, as Mohammad al-Momani said would happen.
  • Whether the security forces deployed to the area make any further documented moves.
  • Whether officials identify the gunmen or provide an account of the attack.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets · 4 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Center Only· 4 Center · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 40% · Europe 20% · Other 40%
Outlet political mix
Center Only
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
4 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (4 of 4 rated sources); comparatively few Left or Right-rated outlets have published on the event.
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Jordan adopted a constitution that identified Islam as the state religion and provided for the free exercise of religious rites.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. Earlier, on 9 November 2005, suicide bombers struck three hotels in Amman, killing about 60 people; al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Jordan passed an Anti-Terrorism Law establishing a domestic framework for prosecuting terrorism-related offences.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Jordan passed amendments broadening the scope of its Anti-Terrorism Law.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Gunmen attacked security personnel and civilians in Karak governorate and barricaded themselves in Karak Castle; 10 people were killed.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

On 18 December 2016, gunmen attacked security personnel and civilians in Jordan’s Karak governorate and barricaded themselves in Karak Castle; the ensuing operation left 10 people dead, including security personnel, civilians and a Canadian tourist.

The local attack was part of a broader episode of armed violence in Jordan, but no connection between it and the later church attack is established here. Earlier, on 9 November 2005, suicide bombers struck three hotels in Amman, killing about 60 people; al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility.

Related developments1 story

Original sources

5 articles from 5 outlets

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