Six people were killed and 28 wounded when gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral in southern Jordan, in a rare attack on Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom.
The assault took place at a church compound in Hammoud, in the Karak governorate, about 110 miles south of Amman. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate initially put the death toll at seven before revising it down to six.
Authorities said the attackers arrived in a vehicle, got out and began firing during a funeral procession. A manhunt was launched as security forces investigated the church shooting in Jordan.
Footage broadcast by the state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka appeared to show two men carrying pistols and a third holding a long gun. They were seen firing towards the church entrance from the street before moving into the compound.
An eyewitness told the broadcaster that the gunmen fired continuously for about five minutes before fleeing. Between 150 and 200 people were reportedly in and around the church at the time, with most of the victims said to be aged between 50 and 70.
King Abdullah II vowed a forceful response, saying: “Every Jordanian life is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation.”
Mohammed Al-Momani, the minister of government communications, said security forces were investigating the attack.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the shooting as a “heinous terrorist attack”. He said it “reaffirms once again that terrorism has no religion and no homeland, and its aim is to strike at coexistence and spread strife”.
Karak was the scene of a series of attacks in 2016, when gunmen ambushed police, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists. Ten people, among them seven officers, were killed and dozens wounded before Jordanian security forces killed the attackers following a lengthy standoff.
