At least seven killed after gunmen open fire at church funeral in Jordan

At least seven people have been killed after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan's Karak governorate. Ten others were wounded in the attack. Friday's incident has caused widespread shock in the country.

Jordanian sources said at least seven people are confirmed dead after Friday's attack. Dozens of people were attending the funeral procession at the church at the time.

Survivors said they heard an explosion when the funeral procession started, after which masked gunmen broke into the church and began shooting.

State-owned television station Al-Mamlaka reported that security forces were deployed to the Hamoud church and were pursuing two suspects, who reportedly got out of a vehicle before opening fire.

Funeral attendee Khaled Burqan told Al-Mamlaka that dozens of people were at the procession. One of the assailants carried a pistol, he said, and the other carried a rifle.

The nature of the attack suggests at least two armed men took part directly. The use of a pistol and a rifle both featured in the eyewitness account.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Jordanian authorities have not said who was responsible. The motive and the identities behind the attack therefore remain unknown.

Security forces are continuing their operation to catch the two suspects. How they left the area after getting out of a vehicle and opening fire, and where they may have gone, are central questions in the search.

Detailed information about the treatment and condition of the ten wounded was not provided in the material for this report. While the death toll has been confirmed, more information is awaited on the injured.

Christians make up a minority of Jordan's population of roughly 11.5 million, though the country is home to several biblical sites that attract Christians from around the world. An attack on a church — and at a funeral, of all occasions — has heightened the sensitivity of the incident in that context.

For survivors, the shooting of people gathered at a ceremony of mourning was sudden and terrifying. The sound of an explosion, then masked men breaking in — those are the moments that return in survivors' accounts.

In the next stage, investigators' main questions will be the attackers' identities, their motive, and how the attack was planned. All attention is now on the authorities' official statements and the outcome of the search for the suspects.