6 killed, 28 injured in Jordan church during funeral procession:Interior Minister calls attackers ‘extremists’

At least six people were killed and 28 others injured after gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan during a funeral procession on Friday, in a rare attack targeting Christians in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country. The shooting took place in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate. According to Jordan’s Public Security Directorate, the attackers arrived in a vehicle, got out and opened fire on people gathered near the church. Authorities initially reported seven deaths but later revised the toll to six. Security agencies have launched a search operation to identify and arrest those responsible. State broadcaster Al-Mamlaka aired footage that appeared to show three armed men firing towards the church entrance before moving further into the compound. Two of the men appeared to be carrying pistols, while the third had a longer firearm. An eyewitness told Al-Mamlaka that the gunmen fired for around five minutes before leaving the area. The witness estimated that between 150 and 200 people were inside or near the church when the attack took place. Most of those killed or injured were reportedly aged between 50 and 70. Jordan’s Interior Minister later described the attackers as a “group of extremists”. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Al-Momani said security agencies were investigating the shooting. Lebanese President condemns attack Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the shooting as a “heinous terrorist attack”. In a statement issued by the Lebanese presidency, Aoun said the incident once again demonstrated that terrorism “has no religion and no homeland”. He added that such attacks sought to undermine peaceful coexistence and create divisions among communities. The incident has drawn attention because attacks on Christian places of worship are uncommon in Jordan. Christians account for around 2–3% of the country’s population, while Karak has a sizeable Christian community. Karak witnessed deadly attack in 2016 Karak was the site of a deadly militant attack in 2016, when gunmen targeted a security centre and police patrols, killing 10 people, including seven security personnel and a female tourist. Four militants involved in that attack later barricaded themselves inside Karak’s historic castle before being killed by security forces. ​