Three Gunmen Kill Seven Mourners in Southern Jordan Church Ambush

Gunmen killed at least seven people during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud, Jordan, on Friday. The attack occurred in the Karak governorate, located 110 miles south of the capital, Amman.

Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya stated at a press conference that 34 others were wounded in the shooting. He identified a group of extremists as the party responsible for the assault. Authorities described the incident as a rare act of violence against Christians in the predominantly Sunni Muslim kingdom.

The public security directorate reported that the assailants exited a vehicle and stormed the church compound during a funeral procession. State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka aired footage showing two attackers with pistols and a third with a long gun firing from the street entrance before advancing inside.

An eyewitness told Al-Mamlaka that the attackers fired continuously for five minutes before escaping in their vehicle. The witness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were present in and around the church. Most of the victims were reported to be between the ages of 50 and 70.

King Abdullah II announced that security forces are conducting a manhunt for the perpetrators. On social media, he vowed the harshest retaliation against those responsible. He declared that every Jordanian life is precious and that the nation will strike with an iron fist against those who threaten it.

Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani confirmed that security forces are investigating the event. The Karak region has a history of such violence. In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks in the area, killing ten people, including seven officers.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the shooting as a heinous terrorist attack. In a statement from his presidency, he noted that the violence reaffirms that terrorism has no religion or homeland and aims to strike at coexistence and spread strife.