Seven Killed in Shooting at a Funeral at a Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said. Karak is about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman.
Dorgham Halasa, who was among the mourners inside the church, said intense gunfire erupted 15 minutes after the funeral had started, and then people started running.
A government statement said the attack was carried out by unknown assailants. The Associated Press could not independently verify the number of assailants, and Jordan’s security services did not immediately release details.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
The AP’s caveat is the right instinct: state television footage showed two men who appeared to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing, then a third who appeared to be holding a semiautomatic rifle, before all three ran toward the church.
Numbers aside, the official language splits: the government statement says unknown assailants carried out the attack, while Prime Minister Jafar Hassan says it resulted from terrorist ideology and blind extremism. One describes what is known; the other assigns a motive.