Gunmen kill at least 6 in attack on Jordan church, authorities say

Key points

• Gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in Hammoud, Jordan, during a funeral on Friday, killing at least six people.
• Authorities said 28 others were wounded and a manhunt is underway for the attackers.
• King Abdullah II vowed the "harshest retaliation" against those responsible for the attack.

Gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Jordan's Karak governorate during a funeral on Friday, authorities said. The public security directorate initially reported at least seven deaths but later lowered the toll to six, and said 28 other people were wounded.

The directorate said the assailants arrived in a vehicle, got out and opened fire on the church compound during a funeral procession. A manhunt was underway for the perpetrators, and Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani said security forces were investigating.

Attack caught on state television

Footage aired by state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka showed two gunmen in casual clothes with pistols and a third carrying a long gun opening fire on the church from a street entrance before charging forward. An eyewitness told Al-Mamlaka that the gunmen fired continuously for five minutes before fleeing, and that between 150 and 200 people were in and around the church at the time, most of the victims aged between 50 and 70.

Karak, about 110 miles south of the capital Amman, is home to a significant Christian community in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks in Karak, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing 10 people, including seven officers, and wounding dozens.

Every Jordanian life is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation.

— King Abdullah II

Reaction from leaders

King Abdullah II vowed the "harshest retaliation" against the attackers, saying on social media that "Every Jordanian life is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the Arab world's only Christian head of state, called the shooting a "heinous terrorist attack." He said it "reaffirms once again that terrorism has no religion and no homeland, and its aim is to strike at coexistence and spread strife," according to a presidency statement.