Jordan sentences three men to death over deadly church attack

AMMAN, Jordan - The State Security Court has handed down death sentences to three men for the deadly church attack last month in Karak's southern governorate, according to Petra, the state news agency. The convicts were found guilty of committing terrorist acts resulting in death, possessing weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes, and spreading the ideology of a terrorist group.

The incident occurred on October 23 at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud, during a funeral service. Gunmen opened fire, resulting in the deaths of nine people and wounding 34 others. Security forces apprehended the three suspects on October 26, following a shootout with them in an abandoned house in Karak. All three attackers were injured, while no security personnel were hurt, as reported by the Public Security Directorate.

In response to the attack, Jordan launched airstrikes in southern Syria against groups allegedly linked to the church assault. Syrian authorities reported seven casualties in the air strikes, including three children and a woman. Jordan subsequently admitted that its airstrikes had resulted in civilian deaths; the two nations subsequently agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the incident and its ramifications.