Seven Killed and 40 Wounded as Gunmen Attack Funeral at Church in Jordan

Gunmen attacked a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, leaving seven people dead and 40 wounded, according to authorities. The assault struck a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, a town roughly 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman.

Jordanian state television aired footage of the approach to the church. Two men who appear to be armed with pistols walk toward the building and fire shots. A third man, who seems to be carrying a semiautomatic rifle, then comes forward and shoots as well. All three then run toward the church. Videos recorded by witnesses show shattered glass and pools of blood on the church floor.

One mourner inside, Dorgham Halasa, said intense gunfire broke out about 15 minutes after the funeral began, and people began to run. "It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire," Halasa said. He did not see the attackers himself, but said others told him they had spotted four. The Associated Press could not independently confirm how many assailants were involved, and Jordan's security services did not immediately provide details.

In a statement, the government said the attack was "carried out by unknown assailants." It did not say whether any of the gunmen had been captured or killed, but said that "investigations are underway at full speed." Jordan has declared three days of national mourning, according to the kingdom's Petra News Agency.

Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the wounded are in critical condition.

King Abdullah II wrote 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." Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking at a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, described the attack as the product of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He said the attackers will be punished and that legal measures will be taken against those who seek to introduce extremism.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population. The town has seen deadly violence before. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks there, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists. Ten people were killed, seven of them officers, and dozens were wounded. Jordanian security forces killed those gunmen after a long standoff.

Condemnation arrived from across the region, including from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Oman. In Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world's foremost religious institution, offered condolences to the victims' families and called the shooting a "heinous terrorist attack." Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein phoned his Jordanian counterpart and "affirmed Iraq's solidarity with Jordan in the face of terrorism," his office said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack, calling it "especially heinous" because it took place during a funeral, according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "The secretary-general also calls for all those responsible to be found and to be held to account," Dujarric said.