Karak terror attack verdict to be issued within two weeks

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) is expected to issue its verdict in the case of 11 defendants allegedly involved in the December 2016 terrorist attacks in Karak in the coming two weeks, a senior judicial source said.

The attack caused the death of 10 people, including four police officers and three gendarmes.

“The SSC is almost done with its deliberation and examination of the case and is expected to issue a verdict within the next two weeks,” the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times, noting that the 11 defendants include 10 men who pleaded not guilty during their opening trial in previous months and one defendant who still remains at large.

The defendants face 19 charges including plotting subversive acts that led to the death of a human being, manufacturing explosives, providing money to be used in terrorist acts and joining armed terrorist groups, among other charges.  

Some of the charges could lead to the death penalty.

In addition to the seven security forces who died in the attack, two Jordanian citizens and a Canadian national were killed, and 34 people injured. 

The charge sheet said that the suspects plotted to carry out terrorist acts around Jordan and started by attacking a police patrol in Karak Governorate, 140km south of Amman, followed by shooting the Karak Castle, aiming to attack a police station. 

Some of the security forces were killed as they attempted to arrest some of the group members in Karak, while the two citizens and the Canadian were killed during shootouts between the defendants and security forces, according to the charge sheet.