Gunmen fire on funeral in Jordan, killing seven
Three attackers opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, leaving 40 people wounded as the country enters a three-day mourning period.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
Seven people died and 40 others were injured on Friday when gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan. The town lies approximately 90 kilometers south of the capital, Amman.
State television footage captured the sequence of events. Two men carrying pistols walked toward the building and discharged their weapons. A third man, holding a semiautomatic rifle, advanced and fired as well. The three suspects then ran toward the church entrance. Witness videos showed shattered glass on the ground and pools of blood on the floor inside the sanctuary.
Dorgham Halasa, who was attending the service, described the scene as chaotic. He stated that heavy gunfire erupted about 15 minutes after the ceremony began. "It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire," Halasa said. While he did not see the attackers himself, he reported that other mourners identified four individuals involved. Security services have not yet confirmed the total number of assailants.
The government stated that unknown attackers carried out the assault. Authorities said investigations are proceeding rapidly but did not specify whether any gunmen were captured or killed. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour noted that two of the wounded patients remain in critical condition.
King Abdullah II posted on X that Jordan would apply the harshest penalties to the perpetrators of the act. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking at a security meeting in Karak, attributed the attack to terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He promised legal measures against those seeking to introduce such views into the country.
Karak has a minority Christian population and has experienced deadly violence in the past. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in the area, killing ten people including seven officers. International leaders have since reacted to the latest tragedy. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the attack especially heinous because it occurred during a funeral. Grand imam Ahmed al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar also offered condolences, labeling the shooting a heinous terrorist attack.
Jordan has declared three days of national mourning following the incident.
Source: NPR
