Gunmen kill seven at funeral in Jordan's Greek Orthodox church
Rare attack on Christian minority in Karak leaves about 40 wounded; no group has claimed it
AMMAN — Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at the Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud village, Karak governorate, on Friday, killing seven people. Early counts of the wounded were 28 and 34; the health minister later put the figure at 40. State television footage appeared to show two men with pistols and a third with a semiautomatic rifle firing before running toward the church. Authorities called the assailants unknown and said investigations were under way. The prime minister blamed extremist ideology, and King Abdullah II promised the harshest penalties. Jordan's interior minister said it was too early to link the attackers to any known group, and none has claimed responsibility. Jordan declared three days of national mourning. The UN secretary-general and Al-Azhar's grand imam condemned the attack. Such attacks are extremely rare in Jordan, whose Christians are a small minority.
Why it mattersA mass-casualty attack on a Christian congregation in one of the region's more stable states raises security and sectarian concerns across the Middle East.
