Thirteen defendants standing trial at Jordan’s State Security Court on Monday (March 25th) pleaded not guilty to charges related to terrorist acts in the so-called Salt Cell case, which claimed the lives of six security personnel in August, the Jordan Times reported.
The 10 men and three women pleaded not guilty to charges of manufacturing, possessing and using weapons and explosives in terrorist acts that led to the loss of human lives.
Other charges they faced included the demolition of a privately-owned building, joining terrorist groups and failing to report terrorist activities to the authorities.
A 14th defendant, facing the same charges, is being tried in absentia.
The charge sheet said the defendants exchanged and promoted information about the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) and "eventually decided to form a cell to disturb the kingdom’s stability and security and terrorise citizens".
"The defendants decided to target vehicles transporting army personnel, police patrols, offices of security agencies and vital government institutions," according to the charge sheet.
On August 10th, 2018, some of the defendants allegedly manufactured an explosive and planted it under a police patrol that was guarding the Fuheis festival, the charge sheet said.
The bomb exploded, killing two security officers and injuring several others.
Investigations led authorities to a hideout in a building in Salt and security officers surrounded the premises and demanded that the defendants turn themselves in, the charge sheet said.
Instead, the defendants "started shooting at the security force, which decided to storm the building", it said.
"The defendants had booby-trapped the building and the minute the force entered, they detonated the explosives, killing four security officers and three of the cell members," it added.
The trial is slated to resume on Monday.
