A member of Jordan's security forces was killed Thursday afternoon in a stabbing attack in the capital, Amman, according to Jordan's official news agency, which described the incident as a terrorist attack. Another member of the security forces was wounded. The attacker was also wounded, arrested and taken to a hospital.
The attacker's identity has not yet been disclosed, but reports indicated that he had previously faced terrorism charges. The attack reportedly took place on Al-Madina Street in Amman, opposite the Sri Lankan Embassy, although it remains unclear whether the location had any connection to the attack itself. A bag belonging to the attacker was found at the scene, prompting authorities to dispatch bomb disposal experts to determine whether it contained an explosive device.
Footage from the scene of the attack
Jordan's Public Security Directorate said the attacker used a sharp object in what it described as a "cowardly terrorist attack." The directorate added that a preliminary investigation found that the attacker had "planned to carry out the terrorist attack against members of the Public Security Directorate."
Jordan's state-run Al-Mamlaka television network reported that the attacker attempted to seize the weapon of the officer who was killed, identified as Jawad Ali Khalaf al-Salayta. At that point, a second security officer intervened and was wounded along with the attacker.
The attack comes just two weeks after a deadly shooting at a church in Jordan, leaving security tensions in the kingdom relatively high. In that attack, Islamist terrorists opened fire on mourners attending a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hmood, about 75 miles southwest of Amman. Nine people were killed and at least 34 others wounded.
Witnesses said the gunmen continued firing for several minutes before fleeing. The three attackers were apprehended only three days later, following a gunbattle with security forces. Jordan subsequently bombed targets belonging to terrorist organizations in Syria that it said were linked to the attackers.
Jawad Ali Khalaf al-Salayta, the Jordanian security officer killed in Thursday's attack in Amman
The earlier attack sent shock waves through Jordan, a country unaccustomed to terrorist attacks. Following Thursday's attack, Dahham Mithqal al-Fawaz, a Jordanian Middle East analyst, wrote: "What is happening is completely unacceptable. Jordan is a safe and stable country, and we will not allow any party or individual to undermine its security, destabilize it or damage the country's standing."
In a post on X, he added: "An attack against members of the security forces is an attack against the entire nation. It demands a firm stance and strict, uncompromising enforcement of the law."
Meanwhile, in a separate, unrelated incident, Turkey's Defense Ministry reported Thursday afternoon that a Turkish soldier had been killed late last month in an exchange of fire along the border with Iran.
According to the ministry, the unusual incident occurred Saturday, October 31, when the soldier was killed while attempting to intervene in an "illegal border crossing."
Turkish officials added that representatives from Turkey and Iran had since met at the scene and that the two countries were cooperating in an investigation to establish the circumstances of the incident.