The armed attack that targeted a church in Karak Governorate, southern Jordan, killing nine people and wounding dozens, brought back to the forefront a series of terrorist operations that the Kingdom witnessed over more than two decades, targeting civilians, tourists, and members of the security services, as well as military and diplomatic sites.
The most prominent of these operations was the assassination of an American diplomat in Amman in 2002, and the bombings of hotels in the capital in 2005, leading to a series of attacks that the Kingdom witnessed in conjunction with the rise of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, before the final attack in Karak.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for some of these attacks, while the Jordanian authorities attributed other operations to individuals or cells adopting extremist ideas, without proving their connection to a specific organization.
Assassination of an American diplomat in Amman in 2002
On October 28, 2002, US diplomat Lawrence Foley, an official with the US Agency for International Development, was shot and killed as he left his home in the capital, Amman.
In December of the same year, the Jordanian government announced the arrest of two people it said had carried out the assassination: Libyan Salem Saad bin Suwaid and Jordanian Yasser Fathi Ibrahim.
According to a government statement published by the Jordanian News Agency, Petra, the authorities said that the two men confessed to their affiliation with Al-Qaeda and their connection to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was being pursued by the Jordanian authorities.
The statement added that Bin Suwayd shot the American diplomat, while Ibrahim took over the driving of the car used in the operation, and the authorities referred the case to the State Security Court.
A missile attack on Aqaba in 2005
On August 19, 2005, the Jordanian city of Aqaba was attacked by three missiles launched from inside the city, in an operation that targeted the area where American naval vessels were anchored.
One of the missiles hit the vicinity of a Jordanian military facility, killing soldier Ahmed Al-Najdawi and wounding soldier Ahmed Mutlaq, while another missile hit the wall of a hospital, and the third fell in the neighboring Israeli city of Eilat.
Amman hotel bombings in 2005
On November 9, 2005, the Jordanian capital witnessed three suicide bombings close in time, targeting the Radisson SAS, Grand Hyatt, and Days Inn hotels. The accident claimed the lives of 56 people and injured more than 115.
Confronting a cell linked to ISIS in Irbid in 2016
In early March 2016, the Jordanian security services carried out an operation against a cell in the city of Irbid, in the north of the kingdom, which the General Intelligence Department said was linked to the Islamic State. The operation resulted in the killing of seven members of the cell, and the killing of Major Rashid Hussein Al-Zyoud.
An attack on the intelligence office in Baqaa in 2016
On June 6, 2016, a gunman targeted an office belonging to the General Intelligence Department in the Baqaa camp area, killing five of the department’s employees.
Rukban bombing on the Syrian border in 2016
On June 21, 2016, a suicide car bombing targeted a Jordanian military site in the Rukban area, killing seven members of the armed forces and security services.
Karak Castle attacks in 2016
On December 18, 2016, Karak Governorate witnessed armed clashes that began in the Qatraneh area and moved to the historic citadel, resulting in the killing of 12 members of the security services and civilians.
Fuheis and Salt cell bombing in 2018
On August 10, 2018, an explosive device exploded targeting a joint patrol near the Fuheis Festival, followed by a security raid in the city of Salt, which resulted in the killing of six security men.
Attack on tourists in Jerash in 2019
On November 6, 2019, a man carried out a knife attack in the ancient city of Jerash, wounding eight people, including foreign tourists.
Four security men were killed in the Ma'an events in 2022
In December 2022, Brigadier General Abdul Razzaq Al-Dalabih was killed during unrest in Ma'an, followed by a security raid that resulted in the deaths of three security personnel.
Karak Church attack in 2026
On October 23, 2026, gunmen targeted the St. George Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud in Karak Governorate, killing nine people and wounding dozens. On October 26, the Public Security Directorate announced the arrest of the three perpetrators.
