By Biodun Busari

Jordan’s State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday sentenced three people to death by hanging on charges of belonging to the ISIS terrorist group and staging two bombing attacks.

According to AFP, eight others were sentenced to up to 5 and 20 years in prison for partaking in a terrorist operation in the town of Salt in 2018.

The Jordanian court said different terrorist attacks executed by these 11 people claimed the lives of no fewer than six members of Jordanian security forces.

The court condemned three to death, including one in absentia, over accusations of “involvement in terrorist acts using weapons and explosives that led to the death of one person.”

The remaining convicts were handed prison sentences ranging between five and 20 years.

Three others, including two women, were acquitted and released.

According to the accusation, the 11 convicts had “shared news about the ISIS group…and all agreed that this terrorist organization works to apply God’s law.”

They were also found to have created “a criminal gang with the aim of undermining the security and stability of the kingdom… and undertaking armed terrorist operations” in Jordan.

They had planned to target buses carrying security forces, as well as an intelligence building and police patrols, the indictment said.

In August 2018, two policemen were killed and six others injured in a blast after a car bomb was planted on a police car tasked with protecting a cultural festival about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of the capital.

The following day, four policemen were killed after clashes and another explosion during a raid on the building that the attackers had used as a hideout.

Three of the attackers also died during the clashes, which occurred about 30 kilometers northwest of Amman.