Jordan sentences three men to death over deadly church attack

Jordan's State Security Court sentenced three men to death on Sunday for the deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the southern governorate of Karak last month, resulting in nine deaths, according to state news agency Petra. The court found the men guilty of terrorist acts leading to death, possessing weapons for terrorist purposes, and spreading terrorist ideology.

The ruling can be appealed and reviewed by the Cassation Court, Petra reported. The attack occurred during a funeral in the village of Hamoud on October 23, when gunmen opened fire, killing 34 people and wounding 34 others. Security forces apprehended the three men on October 26 following a shootout at an abandoned house in Karak; all three sustained injuries, while no security personnel were harmed, according to the Public Security Directorate.

Jordan, a US ally in the fight against extremism, retaliated by conducting airstrikes in southern Syria against groups it associated with the church attack the same day. Syrian authorities confirmed the deaths of seven individuals, including three children and a woman, in the Syrian airstrikes. Jordan acknowledged that its military action resulted in civilian casualties, and both nations agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the incident and its aftermath.