At least seven people were killed and 40 others injured after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, authorities said. The attack took place in the southern city of Karak, around 180 kilometres south of the capital, Amman.Jordan’s government described the attackers as unknown assailants and said investigations were moving ahead at full speed. It did not immediately confirm whether any suspects had been arrested or killed.Footage aired by Jordanian state television showed two men appearing to carry pistols approaching the church and firing shots. A third man, apparently carrying a semi-automatic rifle, then approached and opened fire before all three ran towards the building.Videos recorded by witnesses showed shattered glass and pools of blood on the church floor.Dorgham Halasa, who was attending the funeral, said the shooting began around 15 minutes after the service started, triggering panic among mourners.“It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire,” Halasa told news agency AP.He did not see the attackers himself, but said other people had reported seeing four gunmen. The Associated Press could not independently verify how many people were involved, and Jordan’s security services did not immediately provide further details.
Jordan declares three days of mourning
Jordan announced three days of national mourning following the killings, the kingdom’s Petra News Agency reported.Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the injured were in critical condition.King Abdullah II condemned the attack in a post on X, pledging a strong response and offering condolences to the victims’ families.Jordan “will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties,” the king said, while extending his “deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs, and our wishes for recovery to the wounded.”Prime Minister Jafar Hassan also addressed the incident during a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening. He blamed the attack on terrorist ideology and blind extremism, adding that those responsible would be punished and legal action would be taken against people seeking to spread extremism.The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, a city with a minority Christian population.
Regional leaders condemn attack
The killings drew condemnation from across the region, including Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Oman.Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, offered condolences to the victims’ families and described the shooting as a “heinous terrorist attack”. Al-Azhar is one of the most influential institutions in Sunni Islam.Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein also spoke to his Jordanian counterpart and expressed Baghdad’s support for Amman.Hussein’s office said he “affirmed Iraq’s solidarity with Jordan in the face of terrorism”.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, describing violence during a funeral as “especially heinous”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.“The secretary-general also calls for all those responsible to be found and to be held to account,” Dujarric added.Karak has witnessed deadly attacks in the past. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police at several locations in the city, including a Crusader castle popular with tourists. The attacks killed 10 people, including seven police officers, and wounded dozens.Jordanian security forces eventually killed the attackers after a prolonged standoff.
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