Gunmen kill seven at church funeral in Jordan’s Karak, officials say
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan’s southern Karak governorate on Friday, killing seven people, Jordanian officials said. Authorities called it a terrorist attack, and as of Saturday no arrests had been officially confirmed, Jordanian outlet Ammon News reported.
What happened: The shooting took place at a church in the village of Hamoud, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman, The Associated Press reported. Footage broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots, followed by a third man who appears to be holding a semiautomatic rifle, according to the AP. The BBC said CCTV footage it verified appears to show three armed men, and one witness said between 150 and 200 people were in the church at the time, the BBC reported.
The toll so far: Officials said seven people were killed, after a government spokesperson earlier put the toll at six, the BBC reported. Injury figures differ: the AP and Ammon News reported 40 wounded, the BBC reported at least 34, and Anadolu Agency reported 27, citing Public Security Director Obaidallah Maaytah. These figures come from officials and have not been independently confirmed.
What officials said: Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the attackers as a “group of extremists” and said authorities were working to catch them, the BBC reported. King Abdullah II said authorities would confront the attack “with the harshest penalties,” according to the BBC. Jordan declared three days of national mourning, Anadolu Agency reported.
What is still unclear: No one has claimed responsibility, the BBC reported. The number of attackers has not been confirmed by Jordan’s security services, the AP said. On Saturday, Ammon News reported that the Public Security Directorate had issued no statement confirming arrests and that security operations were continuing, with checkpoints across Karak governorate.
Sources
- AP News — Gunmen open fire at a church in Jordan, killing 7 and wounding 40
- BBC News — Seven shot dead by gunmen at church funeral in Jordan, officials say
- Anadolu Agency — Death toll from funeral attack at church in southern Jordan’s Karak rises to 7, with 27 injured
- Ammon News — No official confirmation of arrest of terrorist cell behind Karak church attack