Mourners at Jordan funeral attacked, leaving seven dead and 40 hurt

Gunmen opened fire on mourners at a church service in Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others.

State television footage showed two men with pistols approaching the Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 90 kilometers south of Amman, and firing shots. A third man carrying what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle then stepped forward and began shooting before all three ran toward the building, according to the broadcast. Witness video from inside showed shattered glass and pools of blood on the floor.

Dorgham Halasa, a mourner inside, said heavy gunfire began about 15 minutes into the funeral and people started to run. "It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire," Halasa said. He did not see the attackers directly but said others reported spotting four assailants. The government said the attack was carried out by unknown assailants and that investigations are underway at full speed. Jordan has declared three days of national mourning, according to the state Petra News Agency. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the wounded are in critical condition.

King Abdullah II wrote on X that Jordan "will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties." He offered condolences to the families of the dead and wished a recovery to the wounded. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking at a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening, blamed the violence on extremist ideology and said legal measures would be taken against those who promote it.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population and has seen violence before. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks there, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists. Ten people were killed in those attacks, seven of them officers, and dozens were wounded; Jordanian security forces later killed the gunmen after a standoff.

Regional leaders and international officials condemned the assault. In Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, called the shooting a "heinous terrorist attack" and offered condolences. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the attack "especially heinous" because it occurred during a funeral, according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who said the secretary-general called for those responsible to be found and held to account.