Seven shot dead by gunmen at church funeral in Jordan, state media say

Image source, Reuters

Between 150 and 200 people were in the church at the time of the shooting, one witness told the AFP news agency

Six people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a funeral in central Jordan, a government spokesperson has said.

Another 28 people were injured in the church in the village of Hmoud, in the Karak governorate on Friday.

The unidentified gunmen are reported to have arrived in a car and began shooting inside the church before fleeing the scene.

Security forces have been deployed to the area after the “heinous” attack, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said.

Dozens of people had been inside the church for the funeral when the shooting began, Khaled Burqan, one of the mourners, told Jordan’s al-Mamlaka state-run TV.

He said two attackers armed with a rifle and a pistol had been firing at the mourners for several minutes.

CCTV footage, verified by the BBC, appears to shows three gunmen making their way from a road toward the church.

Two of the attackers are seen making their way onto what appears to be a vehicle entrance to the church grounds, before retreating briefly and returning with a third man. All three appear to be armed with handguns.

Separate footage believed to be from the aftermath of the attack appears to show several dead and wounded bodies on the ground amid some chaotic scenes.

No-one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

A news briefing by interior ministry officials is expected shortly, and government spokesperson Dr Mohammad al-Momani has said the country’s prime minister will chair a meeting of the Security Council to be attended by all ministers.

Karak has a sizeable Christian community in the majority-Muslim Jordan.

Such violence is rare in Jordan, but deadly attacks have been carried out in the country in the past.

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