Qurexa Logo
Qurexa

Trust. Care. Deliver.

Back to Blog & Insights
Travel

The FCDO has added a line about Karak to its Jordan advice

Qurexa Editorial Team25 October 20268 min read 0 0
The FCDO has added a line about Karak to its Jordan advice

What happened

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has updated its Jordan travel advice following a shooting at a church in Karak. The update was made on 23 October 2026 and remains current. It appears on the Warnings and insurance page of the Jordan advice. The new wording is brief: "We are aware of reports of a shooting at a church in Karak on Friday 23 October." The advice for anyone nearby is to follow the instructions of the local authorities and monitor local media. The attack took place on Friday 23 October at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak Governorate, in southern Jordan, during a funeral. Gunmen opened fire on mourners. Casualty figures reported so far differ, and no confirmed official toll has been published. An early figure from a Jordanian government spokesperson was six killed and 28 wounded. The Associated Press subsequently reported seven killed and 40 wounded. The Washington Post reported at least seven dead and 34 injured. Other reports have given higher figures. Because the numbers have moved as information came in, we have given them as reported rather than picking one. Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the attack as a terrorist act. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said it stemmed from terrorist ideology and extremism. Jordan declared three days of national mourning, and security forces launched a search for those responsible. The number of attackers has not been officially confirmed, and reports vary. No group has been confirmed as responsible. A video reported to show the attackers pledging allegiance to Islamic State has circulated but remains unverified. Whether the Christian community was specifically targeted has not been established. The rest of the FCDO's Jordan advice is unchanged. It continues to advise against all travel to within 3 kilometres of the border with Syria. It also warns that "there is a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region", and advises British nationals across the Middle East to prepare for flight cancellations, airspace closures and other disruption. The FCDO is not advising against travel to Jordan as a whole.

Why this matters

Jordan is a destination a lot of British travellers visit, and often at this time of year. Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and the Baptism Site are on a great many itineraries, and Jordan has long had a reputation as one of the calmer places to travel in the region. That reputation is part of why an attack like this is significant. It is not something that happens there often, and the Jordanian government's response — a national mourning period, a public condemnation from the King, a manhunt — reflects that. For travellers, the practical significance sits in the detail of how FCDO advice works. The FCDO has not changed its overall position on travel to Jordan. There is no advice against travel to the country, and the only area it advises against all travel to is the 3-kilometre strip along the Syrian border, which was already the case. What has changed is that a specific incident has been noted, with specific advice for anyone in the immediate area. That is the FCDO doing what it does: recording what it knows, as it knows it, without overstating it. The insurance point is the one that costs people money. The FCDO page states that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. That applies to the border strip. It does not apply to Jordan generally. And the regional warning is worth reading properly. The FCDO's note about the risk of further attacks and unforeseen escalation, and its advice to prepare for flight cancellations and airspace closures, is standing advice for the Middle East rather than something new about Jordan this week. If you are booked anywhere in the region, it is the paragraph to pay attention to.

What the evidence actually says

This is a developing story, and that needs stating clearly rather than smoothed over. The FCDO's own wording is careful. It says it is "aware of reports of a shooting". That phrasing is used when an incident is confirmed enough to mention but the detail is not yet settled. The casualty figures are the clearest example of why caution matters. Within roughly a day, different credible outlets reported six, seven and higher numbers of deaths. None of these outlets did anything wrong. Early casualty counts come from different sources — hospitals, officials, witnesses — at different moments, and they change. Anyone reading this article later should expect the final confirmed figure to differ from all the numbers quoted here. Several other things are genuinely unknown at the time of writing: how many attackers there were, who they were, whether any organisation directed them, and whether the church was targeted because it was a church. The reported video pledging allegiance to Islamic State is unverified. We mention it because it has circulated widely and readers may encounter it. Unverified means exactly that, and no claim of responsibility has been confirmed. The useful rule for a story like this is to go to the primary source and check the date on it. The FCDO page for Jordan carries its last-updated date at the top. If you are travelling, that page is more reliable than any news summary, including this one, because it is maintained by the people whose job it is to advise British nationals and it changes when the situation changes.

Practical advice

If you are in Jordan, or booked to travel there: Read the FCDO advice directly at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/jordan, and check the date at the top. It is updated as things change. Sign up for email alerts on that page. They tell you when the advice for your destination is amended, which is more reliable than remembering to look. If you are in or near Karak, follow the instructions of the local authorities and monitor local media, as the FCDO advises. Avoid crowds and gatherings for now, and be aware of your surroundings. This is standard advice after any attack while an investigation is live. Check what your insurance actually covers. If you travel against FCDO advice — which, for Jordan, means within 3 kilometres of the Syrian border — your policy may not pay out. If you are anxious about a booked trip, ask your insurer and your tour operator what their current position is, in writing. Build flexibility into regional travel. The FCDO advises British nationals across the Middle East to prepare for flight cancellations and airspace closures. Where you can, choose bookings you can change. Register with your airline and operator for alerts, and keep your phone charged and topped up. If you are worried about a British national in Jordan, the FCDO's contact details are on the same advice page. Respecting a mourning period is also simply decent. Jordan has declared three days of national mourning, and visitors should expect a subdued atmosphere and some closures.

What to know

The FCDO updated its Jordan travel advice on 23 October 2026 to note reports of a shooting at a church in Karak that day. Anyone in the immediate area is advised to follow local authorities and monitor local media. The attack happened at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak Governorate during a funeral. Casualty reports differ and no confirmed official toll has been published: early figures from a Jordanian government spokesperson were six killed and 28 wounded, while the Associated Press reported seven killed and 40 wounded, and other reports gave higher numbers. King Abdullah II condemned it as a terrorist act, Jordan declared three days of national mourning, and a search for those responsible is under way. The number of attackers, their identity and any organisational link remain unconfirmed. A reported video pledging allegiance to Islamic State is unverified. The FCDO is not advising against travel to Jordan as a whole. It continues to advise against all travel within 3 kilometres of the Syrian border, warns of a risk of further attacks and escalation across the region, and advises preparing for flight cancellations and airspace closures. Travel insurance may be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice. Sources: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, "Jordan travel advice: Warnings and insurance", last updated 23 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/jordan/warnings-and-insurance; The Washington Post, "Shooting at Christian church in Jordan leaves at least 7 dead, 34 injured", 23 October 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/23/shooting-church-jordan-leaves-least-7-people-dead-34-injured/; NPR, "Shooting at a church in Jordan kills 7 people", 24 October 2026, https://www.npr.org/2026/10/24/nx-s1-6015414/shooting-church-jordan. This article is for general information and does not replace official travel advice or advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. Always check gov.uk travel advice for your destination before you travel.

#Jordan#FCDO#travel advice#travel insurance#Middle East#safety

Related articles