Seven people were killed and at least 34 others injured after a group of armed men opened fire at a church in Hmoud, in Jordan’s Karak Governorate, on Friday.
The unidentified gunmen reportedly arrived in a car before entering the church and opening fire. They later fled the scene.
Speaking at a press conference, Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said authorities were working to track down and arrest the perpetrators, whom he described as a group of extremists.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed three armed men walking from a road towards the church.
Two of the men were seen heading towards a vehicle entrance to the church compound before briefly retreating and returning with a third man. All three appeared to be carrying pistols.
Separate footage believed to have been recorded after the attack showed a chaotic scene, with several bodies and injured victims lying on the ground.
Witnesses described scenes of panic inside the church as worshippers sought shelter beneath pews and moved away from windows to protect themselves.
Prayers and screams echoed throughout the building as some people attempted to flee.
Khalid al-Mdanat, a witness who was inside the church, said the attack lasted about 15 minutes.
He described how people began pushing against one another and throwing themselves to the ground as the shooting unfolded.
“Some were taking cover, some were embracing victims who had already died, while others were holding their sons tightly. Some pulled their children away to escape, while others clung to friends who were with them in the church,” he said.
Al-Mdanat added that the gunmen eventually exited through the church door and escaped in a pickup truck while continuing to fire their weapons.
