Jordan arrests Palestinians planning anti-Israeli attacks: Islamic source

AFP | 7/01/02

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AMMAN, July 1 (AFP) - Jordanian security forces have arrested at least five Palestinians in possession of rocket-launchers and planning to carry out anti-Israeli attacks, an Islamist source told AFP on Monday.

"At least five Palestinians, coming from Syria, were arrested on June 24 at the Jaber border post by Jordanian security forces who found rocket-launchers in their possession," the source said.

The suspects, currently under interrogation, were believed to be members of the Palestinian Islamic radical movement Hamas.

The rocket-launchers were to be used for attacks inside Israel or across the border from Jordan, or to be smuggled into the West Bank, the source said, asking not to be named.

There was no immediate confirmation available from Jordanian authorities.

But Al-Dustour, a semi-official newspaper, said Monday that 10 Jordanians had been arrested for planning strikes on "foreign" targets in Jordan and to send arms to the West Bank for anti-Israeli attacks.

The state security court's prosecutor has accused the suspects of "plotting terrorist acts and illegal possession of automatic weapons", accusations which can carry the death sentence in Jordan, it said.

Jordan, which has a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, has said it foiled several infiltration bids across its border with the Jewish state since the September 2000 start of the Palestinian uprising.