Jordan Sentences Three Men to Death Over Deadly Church Shooting

The shooting occurred on October 23 at St George's Greek Orthodox Church in Karak governorate. Worshippers had gathered at the church to attend a funeral when armed attackers opened fire.

Jordan's Armed Forces announced the sentences on Sunday. The court found the three men guilty of terrorism-related offences and other serious crimes.

The charges included committing terrorist acts, possessing weapons and promoting the ideas of a terrorist organisation. Prosecutors also accused the suspects of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks.

The three convicted men are two brothers and their brother-in-law. Authorities have not publicly disclosed their identities following the court proceedings.

Investigators established that the suspects fled immediately after carrying out the shooting. Security officers later traced them to an abandoned house in Karak governorate, south of Amman.

The suspects reportedly refused to surrender when security officers located their hideout. They opened fire on the officers, who returned fire and wounded all three men.

No security personnel sustained injuries during the confrontation. Police subsequently arrested the suspects and took them into custody for investigations.

Security cameras captured three armed men approaching St George's Church before opening fire. Other footage showed victims lying on the ground as people struggled to respond to the attack.

Authorities have not established why the attackers selected the particular church. The incident shocked residents in Karak, which has a sizeable Christian community.

Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the shooting shortly after the attack. He promised a strong response and called on citizens to maintain national unity.

The monarch also praised security officers for pursuing the suspects and bringing them into custody. He said those responsible for the attack would face the consequences of their actions.

The shooting also triggered tensions involving neighbouring Syria. Jordan's military later launched airstrikes against suspected militant positions inside Syrian territory.

The strikes targeted areas in Syria's southern Daraa province during the week following the church attack. Jordan described the targets as terrorist organisations responsible for threats against its security.

However, Syrian health officials reported that five people died during the strikes. The reported victims included women, children and an elderly man in a village.

Jordan's military said the operation killed and injured several suspected militants. However, authorities did not provide detailed information about the casualties.

Jordan also said it had coordinated the military operation with the Syrian government. Damascus disputed that account, saying it had received no advance notification.

The death sentences add to Jordan's ongoing efforts against terrorism and violent attacks. The kingdom carries out executions through hanging, according to its criminal justice system.

Jordan previously maintained unofficial pauses on executions between 2006 and 2014. Another suspension began in 2017 before executions resumed in June this year.

The latest ruling now places the three convicted men on death row. Their case follows one of the deadliest attacks targeting Christians in Jordan in recent years.