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 another 40 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 Hmoud.

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 Prime Minister of Jordan Jafar Hassan said all state agencies are working to bring the perpetrators to justice, according to the kingdom’s official news agency Petra.

“What happened in Karak was the result of extremist terrorist ideology rooted in takfir (declaring others to be infidels), and we will not allow society to go down this path,” Petra quoted Hassan as saying.

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

Jordan’s Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of those wounded are in critical condition.

A witness told state-run Al-Mamlaka television that one attacker was carrying an AK-47 assault 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.

The region reacts

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.

Hassan declared three days of mourning, during which flags will be flown at half-staff over all government and public buildings

Condemnation from elsewhere in the region also came pouring in following the attack.

“On behalf of the American people, we offer our most heartfelt condolences to the victims and survivors of the terror attack today at a church in Karak, Jordan,” the US embassy in Jordan said, expressing its solidarity with the Jordanian king.

The embassy said US citizens should expect to see higher police presence in many parts of Jordan including malls and foreign embassies in Amman.

“We remind U.S. citizens of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor Jordanian authorities for breaking developments, such as Jordan’s Directorate of Public Security,” the embassy said in the travel advisory.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem extended its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, Hammoud residents, all those affected by the shooting.

“The national cohesion of the Jordanian people serves as a vital safeguard against terrorism, extremism, and any attempts to sow division or discord,” said the patriarchate, which leads Catholics living in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus.

Cairo’s Al-Azhar Institute, Sunni Islam top learning center, also condemned the attack.

“This crime contradicts the teachings of the Abrahamic religions and reveals that its perpetrators are devoid of all compassion, humanity and morality,” the institute’s Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb said in a post on social media.

The Iraqi government said the attack “demonstrates that terrorism is a root of evil that the Iraqi people have previously suffered from and confronted with determination and strength.”

“It calls on us to stand united against all voices that threaten the security of our societies and undermine civil peace,” the Iraqi statement added.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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CNN’s Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.