Jordan has foiled an Iranian-led plot to smuggle weapons into the country.
Iranian-backed militias in Syria have sent the weapons, say two Jordanian officials.
The plot’s aim was to destabilize Jordan. However, it is not known what acts of sabotage were intended.
Jordan hosts a US military base and shares a border with Israel. It also shares borders with Syria and Iraq, home to Iranian-backed militias.
Jordanian security services seized the weapons in a raid in March. Officials said that Jordanians of Palestinian descent were arrested.
The official says the Iranian militias wanted to send it to a cell of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan.
The Muslim Brotherhood supports Hamas.
Jordanian security services have thwarted attempts by Iran-backed groups to smuggle in arms in the past.
The weapons include Claymore mines, C4 and Semtex explosives, Kalashnikov rifles, and 107mm Katyusha rockets.
The source said these groups hide these weapons in pits they call “dead spots.”
“They then take their location via GPS and photograph their location and then instruct men to retrieve them from there.”
There has been no official statement so far.
The plot and arrest come at a time of high tension in the Middle East.
The Gaza war has entered a crucial phase with the Rafah operation.
(REUTERS)
