Who is Hazzaa Zaidan Mohammed, the suspect in Jordan’s Hamoud church attack?

• Jordanian court records show that Hazzaa Zaidan Mohammed was previously convicted in a case involving plans to carry out terrorist acts for Daesh and sentenced to seven years of temporary hard labour.
• He was detained again alongside two associates on Monday, October 26, 2026, in connection with the attack on a church in Hamoud, Karak, that killed nine people and wounded around 40 others.

Jordanian court records reveal that Hazzaa Zaidan Mohammed had previously been convicted in a case linked to planning terrorist acts on behalf of Daesh, before being detained again in connection with the attack on a church in the town of Hamoud in Karak Governorate, which killed nine people and wounded around 40 others, according to information contained in the court records and details related to the case.

According to the available information, Zaidan Mohammed is a former military serviceman who was discharged from service in 2014.

Court records indicate that his name was linked to a security case dating back to 2021, involving plans to carry out terrorist acts and promote the ideology of a terrorist group. The case followed his communication with individuals who held extremist views and the formation of a group that sought to carry out an armed operation targeting border guard forces.

On March 1, 2023, the State Security Court convicted him in the case and sentenced him to seven years of temporary hard labour. In November of the same year, the Court of Cassation upheld the ruling, making it final.

According to information contained in the case, the plot for which he was convicted involved plans to carry out an armed operation in the southern border region, before security agencies foiled the plan and arrested those involved.

According to the information provided, Zaidan Mohammed was released during 2026 after completing his sentence under the applicable sentence-calculation rules. The Public Security Directorate subsequently announced his detention, alongside two associates, in the early hours of Monday, October 26, 2026, as part of the investigation into the Hamoud church attack.

The suspects were detained following a security operation in Karak Governorate that involved an armed exchange. All three were injured before security forces brought the situation under control and transferred them to complete the legal procedures and investigations related to the attack.

The case has brought renewed attention to the suspect’s previous judicial record as security and judicial procedures continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and determine responsibility for it.