Jordan Sentences Three Men to Death Over Karak Church Attack

Jordan’s State Security Court on Sunday sentenced three men to death for the Karak church attack last month that killed nine people, the state news agency Petra reported.

The court convicted the men of offences including carrying out terrorist acts resulting in death, possessing weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes, and promoting the ideology of a terrorist group. The ruling is subject to appeal and automatic review by the Court of Cassation, Petra said.

FAKTA

• Verdict: three men sentenced to death by Jordan’s State Security Court on Sunday, 15 November 2026.
• The attack: gunmen opened fire during a funeral at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud, Karak, on 23 October 2026.
• Casualties: nine people killed and 34 wounded, according to the authorities.
• Charges: terrorist acts resulting in death, possessing weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes, and promoting the ideology of a terrorist group.
• Next step: the ruling is subject to appeal and automatic review by the Court of Cassation.
• Arrests: the three men were arrested on 26 October after a shootout at an abandoned house in Karak.

Death sentences over the Karak church attack

The three men were found guilty of carrying out the shooting at the church in Hamoud, a village in the Karak governorate in southern Jordan. Prosecutors had brought seven categories of charges under Jordan’s Anti-Terrorism Law and Penal Code, including conspiracy to mount armed attacks.

Two further defendants each received six-year prison terms, after one charge against them was reclassified as possession of a firearm, according to the counsel for the victims’ families. The death sentences are not yet final, as the law requires review by the Court of Cassation.

The October attack on the church

Gunmen opened fire during a funeral service at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud on 23 October, in a rare attack on Jordan’s Christian minority. Nine people were killed and 34 wounded, the authorities said.

Security forces arrested the three men on 26 October after a shootout at an abandoned house in Karak. All three were wounded in the shootout, while no security personnel were injured, according to the Public Security Directorate.

Watan News reported on the attack when it happened on 23 October.

Airstrikes on Syria and the aftermath

Jordan, a US partner in the fight against extremism, launched airstrikes on southern Syria later on 26 October against groups it linked to the church attack. Syrian authorities said seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed in the strikes.

Jordan later acknowledged that its airstrikes had killed civilians in Syria, and the two countries agreed to form a joint security committee to review the incident and its consequences.