A Jordanian security officer was killed in an attack outside the Sri Lankan Embassy in Amman on Thursday, and Jordanian authorities have classified it as a terrorist act.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka said the attack took place at about 12.20 p.m. on 5 November, when an assailant armed with a sharp object attacked a security officer stationed near the Embassy building. The officer was identified as Corporal Jawad Ali Khalaf Al-Salaita. He died while performing his official duties.
According to Jordan’s Public Security Directorate (PSD), police officers who responded to the incident overpowered and arrested the suspect. The commanding officer of the responding patrol suffered facial injuries during the confrontation and was admitted to hospital, where he is in a stable condition.
The PSD said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had planned an attack targeting security personnel. Jordanian state television reported, according to the Associated Press (AP), that the attacker tried to seize the dead officer’s weapon before another officer intervened.
In a statement, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Amman said all Embassy staff and members of the Sri Lankan community in Jordan are safe. It expressed its deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of the officer. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Jordan, Wishwanath Aponsu, and Embassy officials are monitoring the security situation in coordination with Jordanian authorities. A full investigation is under way.
Background
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a host country is responsible for protecting foreign embassies on its territory. Embassies commonly have host-country security personnel posted nearby, which is why a Jordanian officer was on duty outside the Sri Lankan mission.
Amman is the capital of Jordan, where the Sri Lankan Embassy is the main point of contact for Sri Lankans living in the country. Embassies of this kind handle consular matters such as passport services and help for citizens in an emergency.
Jordan has formally classified the latest incident as a terrorist act, which in most legal systems allows investigators to apply the country’s counter-terrorism laws to the case. Jordanian authorities have not yet said what charges the suspect may face.
What it means
The Embassy has said that its staff and the Sri Lankan community in Jordan are safe. Families in Sri Lanka with relatives in Jordan can look to the Embassy in Amman for updates as the investigation continues.
Sri Lankans in Jordan, and anyone planning to visit the Embassy or travel to the country, should follow instructions from Jordanian authorities and any further notices from the Embassy. The Embassy said it is closely monitoring the security situation.
