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Ten people were killed after 'terrorists' in Jordan opened fire in what appear to be targeted attacks against tourists and police in Karak on Sunday.
A Canadian woman, seven police officers and two Jordanian civilians were killed in Karak, a tourist destination famous for its castle about 70 miles south of the capital of Amman, according to Jordan's general security department.
More than two dozen people were taken to the hospital, it has been reported.
Shots broke out in different areas of Karak before the gunmen fled to the city's medieval castle, where several tourists inside were taken hostage.
Police surrounded the castle and stormed the fortress, rescuing hostages who were trapped inside. The standoff is ongoing.
Government minister and spokesman Mohammad al-Momani called it a 'cowardly terrorist attack' on state television, adding that Jordan is 'packed with terrorist organizations.'
Al-Momani also said a manhunt to 'eliminate' the gunmen had entered its final phase. He did not elaborate.
'The security forces and gendarme are in the final stage and we don't want to pre-empt news... we will be dealing with this group of terrorists and eliminate them,' he said.
The former deputy prime minister and current Senator Ayman al-Safadi told CNN there were unconfirmed reports that three of the five gunmen had been killed.
'There could be people still hiding in the building, probably not venturing out for fear of being shot,' he said, adding he did not know of any hostages at the scene.
The violence began earlier on Sunday when gunmen in different areas of the Karak governorate opened fire in short succession.
A police patrol responded to reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh, about 25 miles outside of the city of Karak, according to Jordan's Public Safety Directorate.
Gunmen posted inside the home ambushed the police and wounded two officers before fleeing by car, Al Jazeera reported.
Another security patrol was attacked, but no one was injured.
Shots were also fired at a police station in Karak Castle, wounding 'several policemen and passerby', according to Petra.
They entered the castle, perched on top of a hill, and used one of the towers to fire at a nearby police station.
Authorities then surrounded the castle and 'launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen,' according to a statement issued by the Public Security Directorate.
It remains unclear just how many people were involved in the shootings. Authorities said 'five or six gunmen' were involved, but Prime Minister Prime Minister Hani Mulki said there were 10 assailants inside the castle.
Mulki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the attacks, said 'a number of security personnel' had been killed.
Video footage on social media showed security forces taking groups of young Asian tourists up the castle's steep steps to its main entrance as gunshots were heard overhead.
It remains unclear where exactly each victim was killed.
The Canadian government confirmed one of its nationals died, while another was injured.
'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of all the victims, including the Canadian killed and the Canadian who was injured in the heinous attack in Jordan,' Global Affairs spokesperson John Babcock said in an email to Global News.
The Canadian embassy in Jordan also issued a travel warning that read: 'Dear #Canadians, we advise against all travel to #Karak city until further notice due to security incident, be safe!'
The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear and no group has taken responsibility.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...le-tourists-trapped-inside.html#ixzz4TETJwPoT
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