Gunmen opened fire at a church in Jordan where a funeral was being held Friday, killing at least six people and wounding 28 others. The church is located in the Karak governorate, which hosts a significant Christian population.

The gunmen reportedly arrived in a car, entered the church, and started shooting before fleeing the scene. They are still at large, and a manhunt is underway to find them. Security personnel have been deployed to the church, according to government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani, who called the attack “heinous.”

Khaled Burqan, who had been attending the funeral, told a local TV station that the church was crammed with dozens of mourners when the gunmen entered and began a shooting spree that lasted several minutes. Horrific footage shows bodies of the dead and wounded lying on the ground.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Christians in Jordan enjoy legally protected status, holding publicly elected positions and serving in parliament, as well as in the cabinet, military, and public sector. Nonetheless, they do face discrimination in employment, are monitored by the state, and are restricted in their ability to preach publicly and to proselytize.

However, Christians across the Middle East do face intense persecution, including violence, systemic discrimination, and social pressure. In Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Gaza, severe persecution has shrunk the Christian population by 50 to 90 percent.