Gunmen in Jordan kill 7 people and wound 40 others at church

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan killing seven people and wounding 40 others.

The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 kilometres south of the capital Amman.

Jordan TV showed CCTV footage of two gunmen holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots.

Then a third man appeared holding a semiautomatic rifle. He joined them and opened fire before all three men ran towards the church.

A video obtained by The Associated Press shows the damage after the shooting inside the church and policemen at the scene.

This mourner who was attending the funeral when the shooting took place said, "We were inside the church when the funeral procession entered.

After 15 minutes, there was heavy gunfire from all four sides. The young people were the most active evacuating people to the outdoor courtyard.

The Greek Orthodox church was seen with broken windows and bloodstains on its floor.

Security was tight outside the church, located in Karak which is known to be home for the minority Christian population.

Jordan's King Abdullah II visited the wounded at a hospital after the attack and offered condolences to the victim's families. He also vowed a strong response to the shooting.

Two of the wounded are in critical condition, according to Jordan's Health Minister.

Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan reacted to the shooting saying "the criminal, misguided, and wicked hands" that killed seven people and wounded 40 others "will not escape punishment."

"It is clear that what occurred is the result of an extremist ideology," he said, adding, "if we allow society to head down the path of extremism, this is the outcome and we will not permit this to happen.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack during a funeral calling it "especially heinous" and "calls all those responsible to be found and to be held to account."