At least 7 people killed in unprecedented shooting at church in Jordan

By Jomana Karadsheh, Mostafa Salem, Farida Elsebai and Sarah Tamimi, CNN

(CNN) — At least seven people were killed, and 27 injured, after gunmen opened fire on a church in Jordan’s southern Karak province in an unprecedented attack that has left the nation stunned.

The “unidentified” gunmen have not yet been captured, the public security agency said in a news conference Friday afternoon, adding that the shooting was a terrorist attack against Christians attending a funeral in the town of Hmood.

Jordan’s King Abdullah said Jordan will “harshly” respond against those responsible for the “terrorist act”.

“The blood of Jordanians is precious, and we will strike those who transgress against this country with an iron fist,” the king said on X.

The casualty toll was revised several times throughout the day as more information surfaced.

A witness told state-run Al-Mamlaka television that one attacker was carrying an AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle, and the shooting continued for several minutes.

Another witness speaking to CNN confirmed that the attack “lasted a long time” with gunmen shouting Allahu Akbar while targeting the courtyard of the church, where most people were standing.

“It was a massacre. …. I did not imagine I would get out alive ” she told CNN, saying she had to hide behind the altar, along with other mourners, to survive the attack.

“They struck people who were gathered to grieve and mourn,” she said. “I never ever imagined anything like this would ever happen anywhere in Jordan”

Security camera footage circulating on social media showed three gunmen opening fire on the street before heading toward the church.

The town has been home to a predominantly Christian community for centuries. On Friday, people had gathered at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church to mourn the death of a community member.

“Some guys were standing outside the church before two people got out of a vehicle and started shooting,” Tamer Halasa, an eyewitness told Al-Mamlaka television.

Dozens were believed to be inside the church, witnesses told state media.

“We were more than 150 people inside and outside the church,” Halasa added.

Jordanian government ministers and regional officials quickly condemned the shooting. Sectarian attacks in Jordan are rare, with the Christian community making up just 2% of the total population of the country.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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