Five Jordanians were sentenced to death by a State Security Court on charges of having ties with the Islamic State and planning terrorist acts in the kingdom, state media reported.
The Jordanian court also handed terms ranging from three to 15 years of imprisonment with hard labour to another 16 Jordanians in the same case, Jordan’s official media agency said.
The court charged the 21 members of the dismantled cell with carrying out terrorist acts, manufacturing and possessing explosive substances, and spreading terrorist ideologies, the agency said.
The group was arrested in March during a military operation in the northern Jordanian town of Irbid, which is near the border with Syria.
Jordan has been hit by several terrorist attacks this year.
On Dec. 18, 10 people were killed by gunmen who holed themselves up in the Crusader-era al-Karak castle.
In June, a Jordanian security outpost near the Syrian border was the target of a deadly attack claimed by the Islamic militant militia.
Jordan is part of the U.S. led military coalition against the Islamic State which has been carrying out airstrikes targeting the extremist group. (dpa/NAN)
