Crimeupdated 52m ago2 min read
Gunmen Open Fire at Greek Orthodox Church in Karak, Killing Seven and Wounding 34
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Seven killed and 34 wounded in church shooting during funeral in Karak, Jordan. Gunmen described as extremists opened fire; security forces pursuing the attackers.
Explore source coverage 8 source types
Directory totals describe our source library, not outlets checked for this story.
38 outlets told this the same way.
Karak church shooting
Gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak during a funeral, killing seven people and wounding 34 others, according to Jordanian authorities. Director of Public Security Obaidullah Al-Maaytah said the attack left “seven people are confirmed dead after the assault on a Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud,” and he said 27 of the wounded were receiving treatment in hospitals.
Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the assault as a “terrorist” attack and said it was perpetrated by a group with “no relationship to humanity.” King Abdullah II vowed that Jordan would confront the attackers with the harshest penalties, and he said, “We will strike with an iron fist against anyone who overreaches against this country.”
Identities, search, and claims
Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya told a press conference that authorities were searching for the authors of the shooting and described the attackers as a “group of extremists.” The BBC reported that Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities were working to apprehend the perpetrators which he described as a "group of extremists," and the BBC also said no-one had admitted carrying out the attack.
Al-Maaytah said the search for the gunmen was ongoing, and he pledged that “the perpetrators will be caught and our national unity will not be hit”. Khaled Burqan told Jordan’s al-Mamlaka state-run TV that two attackers armed with a rifle and a pistol had been firing at mourners for several minutes, and he said the attackers were firing for several minutes before fleeing.
Regional condemnation and response
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the shooting a “heinous terrorist attack,” and he said it “reaffirms once again that terrorism has no religion and no homeland, and its aim is to strike at coexistence and spread strife”. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, offered condolences to the families of victims and called the attack a “heinous terrorist attack,” according to the Boston Herald.
Jordanian authorities said investigations were underway at full speed, and the government statement said the attack was “carried out by unknown assailants.” Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Jordan would “confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties,” and he offered “deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs” while wishing recovery to the wounded.