Gunmen Kill at Least 7 at Jordan Church, Reports Say
Gunmen opened fire on a funeral procession at a church in Hammoud, in southern Jordan's Karak governorate, on Friday. At least six people were killed.
- 6 dead and 28 wounded, the revised count from Jordan's public security directorate.
- 7 dead and 10 wounded, the earlier count other outlets reported.
- 150 to 200 people were at the church, one witness said.
- 5 minutes of continuous gunfire came before the attackers fled, a witness said.
Why it matters: Gun attacks like this are rare in Jordan, a Muslim-majority country of about 11.5 million people. Christians make up roughly 2% to 3% of the population.
- Karak, about 110 miles south of Amman, has a significant Christian population.
- Karak saw a deadly 2016 attack on security forces and a tourist.
How 13 sources split on this story
Where they split: Outlets differ on the toll and the number of attackers: Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle report two gunmen, while the Daily Mail describes footage showing three.
Center coverage, 8 sources: The center sticks to the confirmed toll and the official investigation, noting that the attackers' identities and motives remain unclear.
Left coverage, 3 sources: The left frames it through survivor accounts of masked gunmen at a funeral, stressing that the attack is rare and no one has claimed it.
Right coverage, 2 sources: The right frames it as an attack on Christians at a packed church, highlighting regional leaders who called it terrorism.
What’s next: Government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said security forces have launched an investigation. Police are pursuing the suspects.
- King Abdullah said the attackers will be punished with "an iron fist."
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called it a "heinous terrorist attack."
- Who carried out the attack, and what was the motive?
- Were there two attackers or three?
- Was the explosion survivors reported part of the attack?
