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Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in southern Jordan, killing at least seven people and wounding 40. Most of the wounded are receiving treatment, AnewZ reported, citing Reuters.
The attack took place at the Greek Orthodox Hamoud Church in the village of Hamoud in Karak Governorate, south of the capital, Amman. Witness Khaled Burqan told Reuters that gunmen began shooting as dozens of people attended the funeral, and that the gunfire lasted several minutes.
Security camera footage broadcast on state-owned Al-Mamlaka television and reviewed by Reuters showed three people firing from a sidewalk, taking cover behind trees and a low wall, before running towards the church entrance.
Major General Abdallah al-Maytah, head of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, described the incident as a terrorist act carried out by extremists. He said the search for the attackers was continuing. No group has claimed responsibility.
Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said it was too early to determine whether the attackers had ties to known groups operating inside or outside Jordan.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II travelled to Karak after the attack and vowed that those responsible would face severe punishment. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan condemned the shooting, calling it a result of terrorist ideology and extremism. Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohammad Khalaileh and several members of parliament also condemned the attack.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the incident, calling it particularly abhorrent. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, described it as a brutal attack on a place of worship.
Christians make up a minority of Jordan’s population, and most belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. The community has a guaranteed number of seats in parliament, Reuters reported. Jordan also has several biblical sites that attract Christian pilgrims.
The city of Karak, known for its Crusader-era castle, has previously been the scene of an armed attack. In December 2016, gunmen took refuge at the popular tourist site after attacking security patrols and a police station. Ten people were killed, including seven members of the security forces, two Jordanian citizens and one Canadian tourist. The Islamic State terrorist group later claimed responsibility.
Jordan, a close U.S. ally, is considered relatively stable in a tense region, and attacks of this kind are rare. Jordanian officials have said that several attempted attacks by Islamist militants have been thwarted in recent years.
The kingdom has also faced mounting pressure this year. After the United States and Israel began a war against Iran in February, Iranian strikes targeted U.S. allies in the region, including Jordan.
The attackers remain at large, and no group has claimed responsibility.
