Seven Dead After Gunmen Fire on Funeral in Southern Jordan
Three attackers targeted a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, killing seven mourners and wounding 34 others during a five-minute assault.
By Priya Sharma ·
Three gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud, Jordan, on Friday, killing at least seven people. The assault occurred during a funeral procession in the Karak governorate, which is located 110 miles south of the capital, Amman. Authorities described the incident as a rare attack on the Christian community in the majority Sunni Muslim nation.
Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya announced that 34 others were wounded in the shooting. He attributed the violence to a group of extremists. The public security directorate reported that the assailants exited a vehicle and stormed the church compound before opening fire. A manhunt for the three perpetrators was underway following the attack.
State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka aired footage of the incident, showing two men in casual clothing holding pistols and a third carrying a long gun. The video captured the gunmen firing from a street entrance and then advancing into the church. An eyewitness told the broadcaster that the attackers fired continuously for five minutes before escaping in their vehicle.
The witness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were present in and around the church at the time of the shooting. Most of the victims were reported to be between the ages of 50 and 70. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani stated that security forces were actively investigating the attack.
King Abdullah II vowed the harshest retaliation against those responsible for the deaths. He posted on social media that every Jordanian life is precious and that the nation would strike with an iron fist against those who threaten it. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, also condemned the shooting as a heinous terrorist attack.
In a statement from the presidency, Aoun said the attack reaffirms that terrorism has no religion or homeland and aims to strike at coexistence. He noted that the violence serves to spread strife. The Karak region has experienced deadly violence in the past, including a 2016 ambush on police at a Crusader castle that left ten people dead.
During that 2016 incident, seven of the ten victims were officers, and dozens were wounded. Jordanian security forces killed the attackers after a lengthy standoff. The current attack on the Hammoud church marks the latest significant loss of life in the region since that series of assaults.
Source: CBS News
