Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said. The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 km (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman.
Incident Details
Footage broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen appearing to hold pistols as they approached the church and began firing shots. A third man, reportedly armed with a semiautomatic rifle, then joined them in the attack. Witnesses captured video footage showing broken glass and pools of blood on the church floor.
Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside the church, described the scene:
“"It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire."
Halasa noted that intense gunfire erupted 15 minutes after the funeral had started, prompting people to flee. He did not see the gunmen but mentioned that others reported seeing four assailants. The Associated Press could not independently verify the number of attackers, and Jordan’s security services did not immediately provide further details.
Government Response
A government statement indicated that the attack was carried out by unknown assailants, but did not confirm whether any gunmen had been captured or killed. It stated that investigations are underway at full speed. In response to the tragedy, Jordan declared three days of national mourning, as reported by the kingdom’s Petra news agency.
