Newsroom
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at an Orthodox church in southern Jordan on Friday, killing seven people and injuring 34, authorities said, as security forces searched for those responsible.
The updated casualty figures, reported by Reuters and The Associated Press, put the number of wounded substantially above the roughly 10 cited in initial reports. The attack took place in Hamoud, in Karak governorate.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said officers were pursuing the attackers. Government spokesman Mohammed Al Momani said authorities would release confirmed information as the investigation progressed.
No group immediately claimed responsibility. Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the attackers as extremists but said it was too early to establish whether they belonged to a known organization.
Cyprus expresses solidarity
Cyprus’ Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, identifying the site as St. George’s Orthodox Church in Karak.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened,” the ministry said in a statement describing the shooting as a terrorist attack targeting a funeral procession.
The ministry expressed solidarity with Jordan and offered condolences to the victims’ families, the Jordanian people, and the government, while wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
The shooting struck mourners gathered for a religious service, turning a community’s farewell into a mass-casualty attack. The identities of the perpetrators and the full circumstances remained under investigation.
*With information from Anadolu Agency, Reuters and The Associated Press.
