Prosecutors in Jordan filed two terrorism-related charges against a suspect on Wednesday following a stabbing attack in Amman that killed one police officer and injured another.
Brig. Gen. Military Judge Ahmed Talat Shahaltough, the attorney general of the State Security Court, announced the charges. The suspect faces accusations under Jordan’s 2006 Anti-Terrorism Law for carrying out an armed terrorist act and committing an armed terrorist act resulting in death.
The official Jordan News Agency reported that the case has now been referred to the State Security Court for trial.
The legal action follows an incident on Madina Munawara Street on November 5. Cpl. Jawad Al-Salayta was stabbed to death while on duty near the Sri Lankan embassy in the capital.
A second officer, Capt. Firas Al-Ananzeh, sustained injuries to his face during the altercation. He tried to apprehend the assailant, who was eventually detained after a struggle with a police patrol.
Jordan’s Public Security Directorate stated that preliminary investigations suggest the suspect specifically intended to target security personnel.
The Amman attack occurred nearly two weeks after a separate assault on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate on October 23, leaving nine people dead and dozens wounded.
Those consecutive events triggered a renewed debate within the country concerning counterterrorism legislation. Ibrahim Tarawneh, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, stated on November 6 that lawmakers would collaborate with the government to examine existing laws, close legal loopholes, and enhance measures against extremism.
