Gunmen open fire at church in Jordan, killing at least seven

Gunmen open fire at church in Jordan, killing at least seven

The full report

Gunmen opened fire at a church in Hmoud, in the Karak governorate of Jordan, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 34 others, according to officials. The attack occurred on Friday, with the gunmen arriving in a car and entering the church before fleeing. No-one has admitted carrying out the attack.

Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the perpetrators as a "group of extremists" and said authorities were working to apprehend them. Jordan's King Abdullah II vowed to "confront the terrorist act with the harshest penalties".

CCTV footage, verified by the BBC, appears to show 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.

Witnesses described scenes of panic inside the church as people threw themselves under pews searching for cover, moving away from the windows. Prayers and screams could be heard throughout the building as some tried to flee. Khalid al-Mdanat was at the church and told BBC Arabic the attack lasted around 15 minutes with "people trying to flee while the shooting was still active".