Gunmen kill seven at church funeral in Jordan, officials say
Gunmen opened fire at a funeral at a church in Jordan on Friday, killing at least seven people, CNN reported. The head of Jordan's Public Security Directorate said seven were killed and 34 were hurt, state news agency Petra reported. The toll was revised during the day, the BBC reported, and the count of the wounded may change.
Gunmen opened fire at a funeral at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in the town of Hmoud in Jordan's Karak province on Friday, CNN reported. At least seven people were killed, CNN said. People had gathered at the church to mourn the death of a member of the community, CNN reported.
The head of Jordan's Public Security Directorate (PSD) said seven people were killed and 34 others were injured, Jordan's state news agency Petra reported. He spoke at a news conference in Karak on Friday evening, Petra said.
The toll changed during the day. Early reports said seven people had been killed, the BBC reported. A government spokesperson later said six had died, before officials again revised the toll to seven, the BBC said. CNN put the number of injured at 40. The count of the wounded differs between reports and may change.
CCTV footage verified by the BBC appears to show three gunmen making their way from a road toward the church, the BBC reported. The gunmen are reported to have arrived in a car and fled after opening fire, the BBC said. No one has admitted carrying out the attack, the BBC reported. The gunmen have not yet been captured, Jordan's public security agency said, according to CNN.
Jordan's prosecutor general in Amman has banned publication of details of the case, Petra reported. NewsHabit is not reporting a motive or naming any suspects.
A man who was at the church said the attack lasted around 15 minutes, with "people trying to flee while the shooting was still active," the BBC reported.
King Abdullah II said the authorities would "confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties," the BBC reported. The king visited the injured in hospital, CNN reported. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan declared three days of mourning, CNN reported.
The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 110 miles south of the capital, Amman, according to an Associated Press report carried by ABC News. Karak has a sizeable Christian community in the majority-Muslim country, the BBC reported. Such violence is rare in Jordan, the BBC said.
What we know: Gunmen killed at least seven people at a church funeral in Karak, and the attackers have not been caught.
What we don't: The final count of the wounded, and who carried out the attack.
Where outlets agree The BBC and CNN report that gunmen killed at least seven people at a church funeral in Hmoud, Jordan, on Friday.
Where they differ Jordan's Public Security Directorate said 34 people were injured, while CNN reported 40.