India condemns 'cowardly' attack on Karak church, says it stands with Jordan

India has condemned the attack on a church in Karak, southern Jordan, calling it heinous and cowardly and saying it stands with the Jordanian government and people.

“India unequivocally condemns the heinous attack at a Church in Karak, Jordan, on October 23, 2026, which resulted in the tragic loss of several innocent lives and injuries to many others,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish a swift recovery to those injured in this cowardly attack,” the ministry said. “India stands firmly with the government and the friendly people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in this difficult hour.”

The statement also reaffirmed India’s “strong commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted a message in similar terms on X.

Gunmen opened fire on Friday as mourners gathered for a funeral inside a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate, south of Amman. Jordan’s health minister, Ibrahim Badour, said on Saturday that one of the critically injured had died, taking the toll to eight, and that more than two dozen people were still being treated.

King Abdullah II has called the shooting a “terrorist act”. No group has said it carried out the attack. Karak has a minority Christian population and was hit before in 2016, when gunmen killed 10 people, seven of them officers.

The United States embassy in Amman said security had been stepped up across Jordan after the attack.