Funeral turns deadly as gunmen kill 7 in Jordan church attack

International

GUNFIRE shattered a funeral gathering in Jordan’s Karak governorate on Friday, leaving seven people dead and at least 34 injured as mourners scrambled for cover inside a church.

The attack took place in Hmoud, where unidentified gunmen reportedly arrived by car, entered the church and opened fire before fleeing. No group has claimed responsibility.

According to a BBC report, Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities were working to apprehend the perpetrators, describing them as a “group of extremists”.

King Abdullah II vowed that authorities would “confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties”.

The death toll fluctuated following the attack. Initial reports indicated seven fatalities before a government spokesperson revised the figure to six. Officials later returned to the toll of seven.

Witnesses told BBC Arabic that the shooting lasted around 15 minutes, describing scenes of panic as mourners sought cover beneath pews, moved away from windows and tried to escape with their children and relatives. Some attempted to help the wounded while others sheltered loved ones amid the gunfire.

One witness initially mistook the shooting for an electrical fault before realizing people had been injured. Another said the gunfire erupted seconds after a prayer, triggering screams and confusion. Bodies were later seen in the church courtyards, according to witness accounts.

CCTV footage verified by the BBC appears to show three men approaching the church, all apparently carrying handguns. Separate footage believed to show the aftermath appears to depict dead and wounded people on the ground.

Al-Faraya described the attack as “painful and horrific”.

Security was tightened around a hospital treating the injured as distressed relatives gathered and roads around the facility were closed. Measures were also increased ahead of the king’s visit to check on the wounded.

Some residents expressed anger and frustration over what they viewed as an inadequate response to terrorism.

Karak has a sizeable Christian community in predominantly Muslim Jordan, where attacks of this kind are rare, although deadly violence has occurred in the past.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack, saying it violated the sanctity of death and funeral mourners and contradicted religious and humanitarian values, according to Lebanese media.(MyTVCebu)