This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/06/jordan-intelligence-officers-killed-refugee-camp-attack-baqaa
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Jordan says intelligence officers killed in refugee camp attack | Jordan says intelligence officers killed in refugee camp attack |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Five people have been killed in an attack on an office of Jordan’s intelligence services at a refugee camp near the capital, Amman. | Five people have been killed in an attack on an office of Jordan’s intelligence services at a refugee camp near the capital, Amman. |
The incident, rare in Jordan, was confirmed by the country’s minister of media affairs, Mohammed al-Momani, who said it took place at an office in the Baqa’a refugee camp just before 7am (4am GMT) on Monday morning. | The incident, rare in Jordan, was confirmed by the country’s minister of media affairs, Mohammed al-Momani, who said it took place at an office in the Baqa’a refugee camp just before 7am (4am GMT) on Monday morning. |
He gave no details of the attack but said it was carried out by those with the “criminal behaviour of people who are outside of our religion”. | He gave no details of the attack but said it was carried out by those with the “criminal behaviour of people who are outside of our religion”. |
Three intelligence officers, a guard and a receptionist were killed, Momani said. | Three intelligence officers, a guard and a receptionist were killed, Momani said. |
A former Jordanian minister of information, Samih al-Maaytah, told the Al Arabiya news channel: “This attack was obviously deliberate. Whoever is responsible [wanted to show] that they are present in Jordan and are capable of carrying [out] attacks.” | |
The Baqa’a camp is home to around 100,000 people. It is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan and was set up in 1968 after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. | |
Earlier this year a large security operation was mounted in the northern city of Irbid in which several Islamic State sympathisers were killed in a shootout. | |
Momani also told Hala Akbar, an army radio station, that the attack on the first day of Ramadan represented a clear deviation from the Islamic faith. | |
He said Jordanians stood together in confronting attempts to harm their security forces and that these attacks would only increase the cohesion of Jordanians in fighting “evil forces”. | He said Jordanians stood together in confronting attempts to harm their security forces and that these attacks would only increase the cohesion of Jordanians in fighting “evil forces”. |
Jordan has carried out airstrikes against Isis in both Iraq and Syria. | Jordan has carried out airstrikes against Isis in both Iraq and Syria. |
One of its pilots was captured by the extremists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014. Isis later released gruesome footage of him being burned alive. | One of its pilots was captured by the extremists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014. Isis later released gruesome footage of him being burned alive. |
Jordan has also opened up the Prince Hassan airbase, north-east of the capital, to other members of the US-led coalition taking part in the air war. | Jordan has also opened up the Prince Hassan airbase, north-east of the capital, to other members of the US-led coalition taking part in the air war. |
In March, Jordanian authorities announced they had foiled an Isis plot to carry out attacks in the kingdom in an operation that led to the deaths of seven extremists. | In March, Jordanian authorities announced they had foiled an Isis plot to carry out attacks in the kingdom in an operation that led to the deaths of seven extremists. |