HAMOUD: King Abdullah II ordered security forces on Saturday to pursue gunmen after the church attack in Jordan killed nine people and wounded 40 during a funeral in Karak governorate on Friday.
The attackers opened fire for several minutes in broad daylight at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church, about 120 kilometres southwest of Amman.
King Abdullah chaired a National Security Council meeting after the shooting. He condemned the attack and directed the authorities to respond with an “iron fist”.
Authorities increased security at malls, foreign embassies and other locations across Jordan, the US Embassy in Amman said.
Priest Theodoros Soueiss said he and others told people inside the church to get down as gunfire spread panic through the congregation.
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No group immediately claimed responsibility. Officials said investigators had not yet established whether the attackers had links to known organisations inside or outside Jordan.
The shooting targeted a funeral attended by members of Jordan’s Christian minority. Such attacks are rare in the country.
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Bahjat al-Rushda, mayor of Shihan village in Karak, joined other officials in condemning the gunmen. Security forces continued searching for the attackers on Saturday.
