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Gunmen Kill At Least Six in Church Shooting During Funeral in Jordan
· Confirmed
In Short: Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak region, killing at least six people and injuring dozens.
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak region, killing at least six people and injuring dozens, according to reports from ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia) and Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Both outlets reported that the attack occurred in the Karak region, about 180 kilometers south of Amman, during a funeral service. However, the casualty figures differ slightly: ABC News & Headlines reported at least six killed and 28 injured, while Al Jazeera reported at least seven killed and 34 injured.
The attack took place in a church with between 150 and 200 people inside, as stated by Jordan's state news agency and confirmed by the Public Security Directorate.
An eyewitness told ABC News & Headlines that a vehicle arrived carrying the gunmen, who fired continuously for five minutes before fleeing the scene.
Jordan's King vowed to punish those responsible with an 'iron fist,' and the Interior Minister described the attack as 'unprecedented' and 'perpetrated by a group with no relationship to humanity,' according to Al Jazeera.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the shooting a 'heinous terrorist attack,' and the search for the gunmen is ongoing, with security forces deployed to the church and pursuing two suspects.
The attack holds significance for Jordan’s Christian population and Amman’s 'public diplomacy' as a custodian of both Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, according to political analyst Xavier Abu Eid, quoted by Al Jazeera.
Without immediate claims of responsibility, the attack highlights the ongoing security challenges in the region and the commitment of Jordanian authorities to maintain national unity and interfaith solidarity.
Both ABC News & Headlines and Al Jazeera agree that the attack took place during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the Karak region, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries, and that security forces are actively pursuing the perpetrators.
Background
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak region, killing at least six people and injuring dozens.
What's confirmed
- Gunmen have opened fire inside a church in southern Jordan, killing at least six people, according to local authorities.
- "We will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation." An eyewitness told the news outlet that a vehicle arrived carrying the gunmen, who fired continuously for five minutes before fleeing the scene.
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the shooting at the church a "heinous terrorist attack".
- At least six people have been killed and 28 others injured.
- The search for the gunmen is ongoing, Al-Maaytah added, pledging that “the perpetrators will be caught and our national unity will not be hit”.
- Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said unidentified gunmen opened fire inside a church in Karak province.
- JERUSALEM (AP) — Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 34 others, authorities said.
- Director of Jordan’s Public Security Directorate Obaidullah Al-Maaytah told a press conference on Friday that seven people are confirmed dead after the assault on a Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud.
- State-owned television station Al-Mamlaka reported that security forces were deployed to the church and were pursuing two suspects, who got out of a vehicle and opened fire.
What's still developing
- Survivors say two masked gunmen began shooting as dozens attended a funeral procession.
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- Karak, located about 120km (75 miles) south of the capital Amman, is home to “Christians and Muslims who have lived side by side for generations”, Taylor Luck, senior Middle East correspondent at the Christian Science Monitor, told Al Jazeera.
- “The blood of Jordanians is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against anyone who overreaches against this country,” he said in a post on X.
- “This community prides themselves on its interfaith solidarity and coexistence,” Luck said.
- “This is something that goes totally against the message that Jordan wants to give to the world,” Abu Eid said.