Gunmen Kill 7, Injure 40 in Shooting at Church Funeral in Jordan

Seven people were killed and 40 others injured after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, southern Jordan, on Friday, prompting the kingdom to declare three days of national mourning.

The attack occurred about 180 kilometres south of the capital, Amman. Footage aired on Jordanian state television showed two men apparently carrying pistols approaching the church and firing. A third man, seemingly armed with a semiautomatic rifle, then approached and opened fire before all three fled towards the church.

Witness footage showed broken glass and pools of blood inside the building.Dorgham Halasa, who was among the mourners, said heavy gunfire erupted about 15 minutes after the funeral began, triggering panic as people tried to flee. He did not see the attackers, while other witnesses reportedly said there were four gunmen. The number of assailants could not be independently verified.

A government statement described the shooting as an attack by unknown assailants, adding that investigations were progressing rapidly. Authorities did not immediately disclose whether anyone had been arrested or killed.Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the injured were in critical condition. King Abdullah II condemned the attack and vowed that Jordan would respond with the harshest penalties, while offering condolences to the victims' families.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking during a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, blamed the attack on extremist ideology and blind extremism and said those responsible would face punishment.The killings drew condemnation from across the region. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar institution, described the incident as a heinous terrorist attack. Iraq also expressed solidarity with Jordan in confronting terrorism.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack as “especially heinous” because it occurred during a funeral and called for those responsible to be identified and held accountable.

Karak has a minority Christian population. The city witnessed a series of gun attacks in 2016 that killed 10 people, including seven police officers, before security forces killed the assailants following a prolonged standoff.