Gunmen kill seven at funeral in Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan

KARAK, Jordan — Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, southern Jordan, on Friday, killing seven people and wounding dozens, Jordanian authorities said. No group has claimed responsibility.

The Associated Press, citing authorities, reported 40 wounded. BBC Persian, citing Jordanian officials, reported at least 34 wounded. The sources do not explain the difference, which may reflect figures issued at different times.

Karak is about 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman. BBC Persian reported that the attack took place in the Hamud area of Karak governorate.

Official response

Jordan's Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the wounded are in critical condition, according to AP.

A government statement said the attack was "carried out by unknown assailants" and that "investigations are underway at full speed." It did not say whether any of the gunmen had been captured or killed, AP reported.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the attackers as "a group of extremists" at a news conference, according to BBC Persian. He said security officials were working to identify and detain those responsible. BBC Persian also quoted him as calling the attack painful and terrible, and unprecedented in the history of the kingdom.

King Abdullah II said on X that Jordan "will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties." He offered his "deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs, and our wishes for recovery to the wounded," according to AP.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan spoke at a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening. He said the attack resulted from terrorist ideology and blind extremism, AP reported. He said the assailants would be punished and that legal measures would be taken against those who seek to introduce extremism.

Jordan declared three days of national mourning, according to the state Petra News Agency, as cited by AP.

What the footage and witnesses show

Jordanian state television broadcast footage that AP described as showing two gunmen who appear to hold pistols approaching the church and firing. A third man, who appears to hold a semiautomatic rifle, then approaches and opens fire. All three then run toward the church, according to AP.

BBC Persian described CCTV footage it said had been verified. It said the footage appears to show three armed men walking along the street toward the church. Two approach the entrance to the church grounds, pull back briefly, and return with the third man. BBC Persian said all three appear to be carrying handguns. The two accounts differ on whether one man carried a rifle.

Video taken by witnesses shows broken glass and pools of blood on the church floor, according to AP.

Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside the church, told AP that heavy gunfire began 15 minutes after the funeral started and that people then began to run. "It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire," he said. He did not see the gunmen himself but said other people reported seeing four. AP said it could not independently verify the number of attackers. Jordan's security services had not released details.

Khaled al-Madanat, who was at the service, told BBC Arabic that the attack lasted about 15 minutes. People tried to escape throughout that time while the shooting continued, he said.

"People were pushing each other and throwing themselves on the ground." — Khaled al-Madanat, mourner, speaking to BBC Arabic

BBC Persian, citing witnesses, said people took cover under pews and moved away from windows. Al-Madanat said the attackers left the church, got into a pickup truck and fled while still firing. BBC Persian's report also said, citing unspecified reports, that the attackers arrived in a vehicle.

Security was stepped up around a hospital in Karak where the wounded were taken, according to BBC Persian. Families of the dead and wounded gathered nearby.

Reactions

Condemnation came from across the region, including Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Oman, according to AP.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack, BBC Persian reported. He said it "violated the sanctity of death and of the mourners at a funeral" and contradicted all religious and human values.

Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, offered condolences to the victims' families and called the shooting a "heinous terrorist attack," AP reported.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein telephoned his Jordanian counterpart. He "affirmed Iraq's solidarity with Jordan in the face of terrorism," his office said in a statement, according to AP.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack as "especially heinous," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "The secretary-general also calls for all those responsible to be found and to be held to account," Dujarric said.

What is not confirmed

The number of attackers is unclear. Video shows three men, while one witness said others had seen four. Authorities have not said whether anyone has been arrested or killed. The attackers' motive has not been officially stated beyond the government's references to extremism. The sources give no identities for the dead.

Background

Karak governorate has a Muslim majority and a significant Christian community, according to BBC Persian. The outlet said attacks of this kind are rare in Jordan, although the country has seen deadly attacks before.

In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks in Karak, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists. Ten people were killed, seven of them officers, and dozens were wounded, according to AP. Jordanian security forces killed those gunmen after a long standoff.