Three sentenced to death over Jordan church attack

Three men have been sentenced to death by Jordan's State Security Court for the deadly attack on Saint George's Orthodox Church in the village of Hmoud, located about 80km south of Amman. The assault took place on October 23 during a funeral service, resulting in the deaths of nine Christians and wounding 34 others. The three men were found guilty of committing terrorist acts resulting in death, carrying out terrorist acts using weapons and ammunition, and promoting the ideas of a terrorist group, according to state news agency Petra.

One of the attackers was also convicted of funding terrorist acts through Jordan's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law. The attack was the deadliest against Jordan's Christian minority since the 1950s; the church's victims were all men, predominantly members of the Halasah clan, a prominent family in Jordan.

The ruling is subject to appeal at Jordan's Court of Cassation. In a separate incident earlier this month, a Jordanian security force member was killed and another injured in what authorities called a "cowardly terrorist attack" in Amman. Despite facing a stagnant economy with a 16% official unemployment rate, King Abdullah of Jordan has vowed that terrorists will not be allowed to threaten the country's unity and security.