Gunmen Storm Jordanian Church During Funeral
Seven people died and 34 were wounded in Karak governorate as authorities hunt for extremists responsible for the Friday assault.
By Thabo Mokoena ·
Southern Jordan has a small but established Christian population that has largely avoided major security incidents in recent years. That pattern was broken on Friday when armed men opened fire on a congregation during funeral rites in the village of Hammoud.
Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya confirmed that seven people were killed in the attack. He stated at a press conference that 34 others sustained injuries. The minister attributed the violence to a group of extremists, marking the event as a rare assault on the Christian community in the predominantly Sunni Muslim kingdom.
The public security directorate detailed the sequence of events. Assailants arrived in a vehicle near the Greek Orthodox church compound. They exited the car as a funeral procession took place and immediately began firing. The directorate noted that a manhunt for the perpetrators is currently underway.
Footage broadcast by the state network Al-Mamlaka showed the attackers in action. The video captured two men holding pistols and a third carrying a long gun. They were dressed in casual clothing and fired from the street entrance before advancing into the compound. An eyewitness told the broadcaster that the gunmen fired continuously for five minutes before fleeing the scene.
The same witness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were present in and around the church during the shooting. The witness noted that most of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 70. Karak governorate, located 110 miles south of Amman, has a notable Christian presence that has previously faced security challenges.
Government officials moved quickly to frame the response. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani said security forces were actively investigating the incident. King Abdullah II promised the harshest retaliation against those responsible. He wrote on social media that every Jordanian life is precious and that the state would strike with an iron fist against those who threaten the nation.
The attack drew international attention from within the region. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, condemned the shooting as a heinous terrorist attack. A presidency statement said the violence reaffirmed that terrorism has no religion or homeland and aims to strike at coexistence and spread strife. Karak also saw deadly violence in 2016 when gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks, killing ten people and wounding dozens before a security standoff ended the threat.
Source: CBS News
