Jerusalem. Seven people were killed and 40 injured when gunmen opened fire at a church in the Jordanian city of Karak while a funeral was going on. According to officials, the condition of two of the injured in the incident on Friday is critical.
The incident took place in a Greek Orthodox church located about 180 kilometers south of the capital Amman. In the footage aired on state television, two gunmen who appear to be carrying pistols are seen walking towards the church and opening fire. After that, another person, who seems to be carrying a semi-automatic rifle, also reached there and opened fire.
In the video taken by the eyewitness, broken glass and blood can be seen on the floor of the church. According to Dorgham Halasa, who attended the funeral, the shooting happened about 15 minutes after the program started. He termed the incident as horrific and said that when the firing started, people ran to save their lives.
The government statement said that the attack was carried out by unknown persons. However, the authorities did not give detailed information about the number of attackers, their condition or their arrests. It is said that the investigation of the incident has been intensified.
According to Jordan’s Petra news agency, the government has declared three days of national mourning following the incident. Karak is home to a minority Christian community.
King Abdullah II of Jordan has condemned the incident and said that the culprits will be severely punished. Prime Minister Zafar Hasan also called the attack as a result of terrorist ideology and extremism and promised to take legal action against the culprits.
Countries including Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Oman have condemned this incident. The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called the attack a heinous incident to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
Earlier in 2016, gunmen targeted police and tourists in Karak. In that incident, 10 people including seven policemen were killed and dozens were injured. -ap