Jordan court sentences 12 in alleged Hamas plot to train bomb makers for West Bank attacks

AMMAN, Jordan – A government official says Jordan's state security court sentenced 12 defendants to prison terms ranging from one to 15 years in what local media described as a plot by the Islamic militant Hamas group to carry out attacks in the West Bank.

The official says eight defendants received terms from one to five years Tuesday and four others were sentenced in absentia to 15 years each. He says charges included conspiring against state security, but did not provide details about the alleged plot. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss court proceedings with the media.

The al-Ghad newspaper says the charge sheet alleges recruits were trained in Jordan and in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The report says the training involved shooting, making bombs and street fighting.