Seven killed in Jordan church shooting

Gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan on Friday, killing at least seven people during a funeral procession. The shooting occurred in the village of Hammoud, located in Karak governorate, about 110 miles south of the capital, Amman. Authorities described the incident as a rare assault on Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom.

Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya announced that 34 others were wounded in the attack. He identified the perpetrators as a group of extremists. The public security directorate reported that the assailants stormed the church compound before opening fire. They exited a vehicle during the procession and began shooting. A manhunt for the perpetrators is currently underway.

State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka aired footage of the attack, showing two gunmen in casual clothing holding pistols and a third carrying a long gun. The men fired from a street entrance and then advanced into the area. An eyewitness told the broadcaster that the attackers fired continuously for five minutes before escaping. The witness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were present in and around the church. Most of the victims were between 50 and 70 years old.

Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani stated that security forces are investigating the attack. King Abdullah II pledged the "harshest retaliation" against those responsible. He wrote on social media that every Jordanian life is precious and that the nation will strike with an iron fist against threats.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, condemned the shooting as a "heleven terrorist attack." In a statement from the presidency, Aoun said the event reaffirms that terrorism has no religion or homeland and aims to strike at coexistence. He noted that the attack spreads strife.

Karak has experienced deadly violence previously. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in the area, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists. Ten people were killed in that series of attacks, seven of them officers, and dozens were wounded. Jordanian security forces killed the attackers after a lengthy standoff.