Jordan says operation near Syria border foiled ISIS attacks

Jordan said Wednesday that a raid near its border with Syria that killed seven suspected jihadists had foiled attacks being plotted by the Islamic State group in the kingdom.


IS planned "attacks against civilian and military sites in order to destabilize national security," Jordan's intelligence services said in a statement after the operation in Irbid, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Amman.

A curfew had been imposed on Irbid on Wednesday morning following a large-scale security operation that began on Tuesday evening.

The operation, reportedly a manhunt against an Islamist sleeper cell operating in the area, is one of the largest such actions taken in Jordan in recent years, according to Reuters.

Arabic media reported on Tuesday night that a Jordanian special forces unit stormed an area of Irbid close to a refugee camp under the cover of darkness, having cut the electricity supply before moving in, accompanied by helicopters.

Conflicting reports have emerged about the casualties incurred during the manhunt, with deaths on both sides reported — a figure that is unlikely to become clear until the operation has ended.

According to the Jordan Times, who cited a security source, one Jordanian officer was killed along with the seven suspected militants.

The security source also told the Amman-based news outlet that the wanted individuals were hiding out in a residential building in downtown Irbid.

Early reports that the militants involved were Islamic State members remain unconfirmed, however, Jordan is part of the coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria.

Israel's Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot recently warned that the Hashemite Kingdom could be targeted by the terrorist group as a result.
[ i24news.tv]
2/3/16
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