AMMAN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A Jordanian soldier was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor for the killing of three U.S. servicemen last year, the state-run Petra news agency reported on Monday.
A military court charged the soldier with murder and disobeying military orders. The convicted was also fired from the military service, according to the court ruling.
The court indicated that the soldier violated the military orders as he did not report the incident to the higher commands as the shootout broke out at the military base in Al Jafer.
Jordan initially said that the three deceased U.S. trainers triggered the shooting as they were trying to enter the base without obeying orders from the guards.
The U.S. embassy in Jordan said in the statement that the court has confirmed that the three U.S. service members followed all established procedures when accessing the base.
The embassy appreciated the trial, and reaffirm strategic partnership between the two countries despite the incident, said the statement.
