Nine Killed as Gunmen Attack a Funeral at a Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan's Karak

Mourners gathered for a funeral in southern Jordan on Friday and were met with gunfire. At least nine people were killed in the attack on St George's Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud in Karak governorate, ABC News reported, and 34 were wounded. Earlier reports had put the toll at seven.

The shooting started while the service was still going on, with some mourners in the courtyard. A mourner said heavy gunfire began about 15 minutes after the funeral started, Fox News said. As of Saturday no one had been publicly named or arrested.

What do we know about the Karak church attack?

Jordanian state television footage showed two gunmen with pistols and a third with what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle, according to the Associated Press account. A mourner said others had seen at least four attackers, and ABC said eyewitnesses told officials a fourth person was the driver. Authorities had not confirmed the number.

On Saturday, 22 of the wounded remained in hospital in stable condition, ABC reported, quoting Health Minister Ibrahim Bdour. Fox said one patient was still in unstable condition. It is unclear whether the attackers were tied to any organization, and no group had claimed responsibility. Security agencies are searching for the perpetrators.

What has Jordan's government said?

King Abdullah II called it terrorism and said Jordan would confront it with the harshest penalties. ABC said he described the safety of Jordanians as a red line and ordered security forces to respond with an iron fist. Government spokesman Mohammad Momani said the attackers subscribed to an extremist takfiri ideology and that Christians are part of Jordan's national fabric.