SSC hands down death sentence, multiple prison terms over deadly attack on police patrol

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Monday issued a death sentence and multiple prison terms over a 2022 attack that claimed the lives of four security officers and wounded several others.

In an open session on Monday, the SSC sentenced the lead defendant to death for his role in the December 2022 attack, which targeted a police patrol in southern Maan Governorate and led to the death ofColonel AbdulrazzaqDalabeeh.

Dalabeeh served as deputy director of the Maan Police Directorate and was fatally shot in the head on December 16, 2022.

Two other defendants were convicted of related terrorism charges, including complicity in acts that led to death, illegal possession of firearms for terrorist purposes, and affiliation with a terrorist group. They received sentences of between 9 and 20 years of hard labor. 

A fourth defendant was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to alert authorities despite having prior knowledge of the group's plans.

The court acquitted two other individuals due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

The events date back to December 15, 2022, when militants ambushed a police patrol, killing Dalabeehand injuring several others. Four days later, on December 19, security forces launched a raid on a house believed to be sheltering the suspects. A fierce exchange of gunfire followed, resulting in the deaths of Captain GhaithRahahleh, Second Lieutenant MutazNajada, and Corporal Ibrahim Shaqarin. Several other officers were wounded in the operation. 

Police officers applied rules of engagement and killed attackers.