Jordan says gunman in shooting near Israeli embassy had criminal record

Jordanian security forces shot and killed a gunman who opened fire on a police patrol, injuring three officers near the heavily fortified Israeli embassy in Amman during the early hours of Sunday, state media reported.

Jordanian police did not name the attacker but described him as a wanted individual with a criminal record for drug trafficking.

A statement by the Jordanian Public Security Directorate did not mention the Israeli embassy ​​but confirmed the incident occurred in the affluent Rabiah neighbourhood, where the Israeli embassy is located.

Rabiah is also a regular site of protests against Israel’s war on Gaza since it began last year.

“The perpetrator of the terrorist act had directly initiated the firing of live ammunition at a security patrol crew that was present in the area, intending to kill its members using an automatic weapon hidden in his possession, in addition to a number of bottles and incendiary materials,” the statement said.

Eyewitnesses reported that Jordanian security forces imposed a cordon around the Israeli embassy after hearing gunshots in the early hours. Authorities instructed residents to stay in their homes while they searched for the shooter.

The gunman was pursued for at least an hour before he was cornered and killed just before dawn.

Footage shared online captured the sound of intermittent gunfire during the chase. 

At 4.30am (1.30am GMT), authorities announced that their forces were withdrawing from the area and that the situation was under control.

‘External connections’

Many Jordanians have raised questions about the identity of the attacker and the motives behind the shooting.

Former intelligence officer and security analyst Omar al-Raddad told Middle East Eye: “In such incidents, a long investigation begins into the perpetrator’s family and the circle surrounding him and reviewing his communications record to see if he is linked to external parties.”

“In my initial assessment, the perpetrator has external connections. These attacks targeting security services put in question Jordan’s ability and procedures to maintain its internal security since 7 October,” he said.

Jordan has witnessed some of the region’s largest protests against the war, Raddad added, highlighting the high level of frustration in the kingdom, where ties with Israel remain deeply unpopular among citizens.

“There is also inflammatory rhetoric by some political movements and fake social media accounts being pushed against Jordanian security,” Raddad said.

Former minister and professor of political science Amin al-Mashaqbeh believes that the Jordanian public needs a clearer explanation of the incident.

“The event was not an individual act, but rather the result of specific organisations. Saying that a person with a drug history is behind it is not enough to explain what happened, as the matter goes far beyond that,” Mashaqbeh said.

‘Firm response’

Meanwhile, the Jordanian government has condemned the recent attacks on the kingdom’s security establishment.

Jordanian communications minister Mohammad al-Momani described the shooting as a terrorist attack targeting the country’s public security forces. He said in a statement that investigations into the incident were underway.

Momani said Jordan’s stability is a “red line” and that “tampering with the security of the nation and attacking security personnel will be met with a firm response”.

This is not the first security incident to take place in Jordan since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.

On 8 September, a retired soldier opened fire at the King Hussein Bridge – referred to as the Karama Bridge by Palestinians and the Allenby Bridge by Israelis – connecting Jordan to the occupied West Bank. The attacker killed three Israeli guards before being shot dead.

On 18 October, two young men infiltrated the border between Jordan and the West Bank south of the Dead Sea. They opened fire on Israeli soldiers, wounding three, before being killed by army gunfire.