Jordanian security officer killed in knife attack in Amman, suspect arrested

The stabbing in Amman

On Thursday, 5 November 2026, a security officer was killed in a stabbing attack in Amman, Jordan's capital. The Public Security Directorate said an unidentified assailant caught a member of its forces by surprise with a sharp object, and the officer died. The directorate described the assault as a 'cowardly terrorist attack'. Al-Mamlaka TV, a state-run broadcaster, reported that the attacker tried to seize the weapon of the officer who was killed, and that a second security officer intervened, leaving both him and the attacker injured. Media reports cited by ANSA placed the attack in front of one of the embassies on Al-Madina Street.

Arrest and investigation

A patrol responded immediately, police said, engaged the attacker and brought the situation under control. The suspect was arrested, and the second officer suffered facial wounds during the arrest and was in hospital in stable condition, according to the directorate. Preliminary findings indicate the suspect had planned the attack against officers of the General Security Directorate, though the directorate has not offered further detail at this stage. The suspect's identity and motive have not been made public, and the directorate said the circumstances of the incident are under investigation. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Amman said the attack took place in its vicinity.

Link to the Karak church attack

The stabbing came about two weeks after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Karak governorate on 23 October, killing nine people and wounding about 40. The church attack targeted the Christian community in Jordan, an incident described as unusual for the country. Following that shooting, Jordan's air force struck sites in Syria, and Jordan said the strikes killed around 20 members of the Islamic State group. Syria condemned the strikes as unacceptable.

Authorities have not established any link between the Karak shooting and Thursday's stabbing. It is unclear whether the two incidents are related or were carried out by people acting together, and officials have not announced any connection between the cases.

Government and royal response

The Jordanian government said on X that attacks on security personnel amount to an assault on the prestige of the state and on every Jordanian. It added that the country would show no tolerance toward attackers or any act directed against Jordan and its people. According to ANSA, King Abdullah II is being kept constantly informed about the investigation. In the days after the Karak attack, the King had warned that terrorists would not be allowed to threaten the unity and security of the country.

Wider security risk

Jordan is generally regarded as comparatively safe, according to newsORF, but the risk of terrorist attacks remains, including from attackers coming from neighbouring Syria or Iraq. That risk has risen since the Gaza war began in 2023, and since then several attacks by Jordanian perpetrators have targeted sites linked to Israel. The Amman stabbing adds to pressure on the security services, which must now establish the full circumstances of the incident and any links to other recent attacks in Jordan.