Key facts
- Jordan's State Security Court convicted the three men of terrorist acts resulting in death, weapons possession and promoting a terrorist group's ideology, Petra reported.
- The death sentences are subject to appeal and automatic review by the Court of Cassation, Petra reported.
- The three men, two Jordanian brothers and their brother-in-law, fled the scene and were arrested three days after the attack; they have not been publicly identified.
- Syrian authorities said Jordan's airstrikes on southern Syria killed seven people, including three children and a woman.
Jordan's State Security Court sentenced three men to death by hanging on November 15, 2026, for an attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud in the southern governorate of Karak, state news agency Petra reported. The court convicted the men of carrying out terrorist acts resulting in death, possessing weapons and ammunition for terrorist purposes and promoting the ideology of a terrorist group. Petra said the ruling is subject to appeal and automatic review by the Court of Cassation.
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at the church on October 23, killing nine people in an attack on Jordan's Christian minority. Authorities said 34 people were also wounded. Jordan's Armed Forces said in a statement on Sunday that the men had been convicted of committing "terrorist acts", as well as possessing weapons, "promoting the ideas of a terrorist organisation" and "conspiracy to commit terrorist acts".
The three men, two Jordanian brothers and their brother-in-law, fled the scene and were arrested three days later; they have not been publicly identified. Security forces detained them on October 26 after a shootout at an abandoned house in Karak, with all three wounded and no security personnel injured, according to the Public Security Directorate. Karak is home to a sizeable Christian community in the Muslim-majority kingdom.
Jordan later that day launched airstrikes on southern Syria against groups it linked to the church attack. Syrian authorities said seven people, including three children and a woman, were killed. 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.