Jordanian security officer killed in stabbing attack near Sri Lankan Embassy in Amman

On November 5, 2026, Corporal Jawad Ali Khalaf al-Salaita was stabbed and killed in a guard booth outside the Sri Lankan Embassy in Amman, Jordan. A second officer disarmed and detained the 32-year-old suspect, who held a prior terrorism conviction. Jordanian officials labeled the assault a planned terrorist act targeting security forces. The incident follows an October 23 attack on a church funeral in Karak that left nine dead and prompted Jordanian retaliatory strikes in Syria.

Investigation and details of the suspect

• ▪The suspect in the November 5, 2026 Amman embassy attack was born in 1994, carried a bag of bladed weapons, and had a prior military State Security Court terrorism conviction
• ▪Jordan's State Security Court public prosecutor opened an official investigation into the November 5, 2026 Amman embassy stabbing
• ▪Jordan's Public Security Directorate stated that preliminary investigations showed the suspect intentionally planned a terrorist attack targeting General Security Directorate officers
• ▪The assailant in the November 5, 2026 Amman stabbing was taken into custody in critical condition at Dar Al Salam Hospital after sustaining injuries

Government reaction to Amman stabbing

• ▪Jordanian Minister of Government Communication Mohamed al-Momani described the November 5, 2026 Amman stabbing as an assault on the state's dignity, rule of law, and every Jordanian
• ▪Jordanian Minister of Government Communication Mohamed al-Momani stated that Jordan's prime minister was closely monitoring the security services' response to the November 5, 2026 Amman embassy stabbing

October 2026 Karak church attack and military response

• ▪On October 23, 2026, gunmen opened fire during a church funeral in Karak governorate, killing nine people and injuring 40 in an attack labeled terrorist by Jordanian authorities
• ▪Following the October 23, 2026 Karak church attack, Jordan launched military strikes against targets in Syria after King Abdullah II vowed that terrorists would not threaten national unity