A Jordanian court has sentenced three men to death by hanging for carrying out last month's deadly gun attack on a church in the kingdom's south. Gunmen killed nine people and wounded 25 others when they stormed a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hammoud village, in Jordan's Karak governorate, on October 23.
Authorities said the three men, two Jordanian brothers and their relative by marriage, fled after the attack and were arrested three days later, after clashing with security forces in late October. In a statement on Sunday, the Jordanian military said the State Security Court had issued the ruling against the three men who carried out the attack on the St George's Greek Orthodox church.S2
The court found the men guilty of committing terrorist attacks resulting in death, as well as weapons offences, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and promoting the ideas of a terrorist organisation. One of the perpetrators was also convicted of providing funds intended to finance terrorist acts.S2
The governorate is home to many members of Jordan's Christian minority, which makes up about 300,000 of the country's 11.5 million people. King Abdullah II said those behind the attack would face the harshest penalties as he offered his condolences to the victims' families, and he has ordered a review of the country's security procedures for responding to attacks.S2
