Gunmen Storm Jordanian Church
Seven people died and 34 were wounded when attackers fired on a funeral in the village of Hammoud.
By Thabo Mokoena ·
Southern Jordan has a small but established Christian population. On Friday, gunmen attacked a place of worship in that region, killing at least seven people and wounding 34 others.
The shooting occurred in the village of Hammoud, located in Karak governorate, 110 miles south of the capital, Amman. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya confirmed the casualty count at a press conference. He identified a group of extremists as the party responsible for the assault.
According to the public security directorate, the assailants exited a vehicle and stormed the compound of a Greek Orthodox church. They opened fire during an active funeral procession. State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka aired footage showing two men with pistols and a third with a long gun. They fired from a street entrance before moving into the church grounds.
An eyewitness described the attackers as firing continuously for five minutes. The witness estimated that 150 to 200 people were present in and around the church. Most of the victims were reported to be between 50 and 70 years old. Security forces launched a manhunt for the perpetrators immediately after the gunmen fled the scene.
King Abdullah II vowed harsh retaliation against those responsible. He stated on social media that every Jordanian life is precious and that the nation would strike with an iron fist. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani confirmed that security forces are currently investigating the attack.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, condemned the shooting as a heinous terrorist attack. He noted that the violence aims to strike at coexistence and spread strife. This incident follows deadly violence in the Karak region in 2016, where gunmen ambushed police and killed ten people.
Source: CBS News
