Key facts
- Eight people were killed and 40 wounded in an attack at a church in Jordan.
- A survivor, Nasser al-Burqan, stated one assailant pointed a handgun at him and opened fire.
- The attack occurred on Friday at the Greek Orthodox Hamoud church in Karak governorate.
- Authorities are searching for the attackers and have not determined any links to known groups.
- King Abdullah of Jordan vowed to punish the perpetrators "with an iron fist".
Prayer services had just started at a church in Jordan on Friday when Nasser al-Burqan heard what he thought was an exploding air conditioner, which turned out to be gunfire. Some people ran away, while others, some bleeding, tried to hide in their place of worship where a funeral for Burqan's relative had been taking place. Word spread among those gathered that there were fatalities.
When the shooting finally stopped after several minutes, Burqan said he saw two assailants, one masked and the other not, carrying a handgun. Burqan stated one of the attackers, standing about 2 meters away, pointed the handgun at him and opened fire, leaving blood on his face from shattered glass. His son, who also attended the mass, was shot in the leg and was being treated in hospital.
The attack at the Greek Orthodox Hamoud church in Karak governorate shocked the community, part of Jordan’s Christian minority. Authorities are still searching for the attackers and have not determined any links to known groups. King Abdullah of Jordan visited Karak hours after the attack and said the perpetrators would be punished "with an iron fist". Security was stepped up across Jordan on Saturday as authorities searched for the gunmen who also wounded 40 people.