At least 6 people killed in unprecedented shooting at church in Jordan
By Jomana Karadsheh, Mostafa Salem, Farida Elsebai and Sarah Tamimi, CNN
(CNN) — At least six people were killed, and 28 injured, after gunmen opened fire inside a church in Jordan’s Karak province 90 miles south of the capital Amman, Jordan’s public security agency said.
The “unidentified” gunmen are being pursued, the security agency said, adding that the shooting happened during a funeral attended by Christians in the town.
Jordan’s King Abdullah described the shooting as a “terrorist act,” and vowed to “harshly” respond against those responsible.
“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.
State media had originally reported that seven people were killed before Jordan’s public security agency issued a revised casualty number. It was not immediately clear what led to the discrepancy.
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.
Security camera footage circulating on social media showed three gunmen opening fire on the street before heading toward the church.
The incident took place in Hmood, a predominantly Christian town in northern Karak, where people were gathered in the St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church to mourn the passing 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.
The-CNN-Wire
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