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Jordan: 7 killed in raid had ties to IS, planned attack Jordan: 7 killed in raid had ties to IS, planned attacks
(about 2 hours later)
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanian intelligence said Wednesday that seven men killed in a shootout with troops had ties to the Islamic State group and had planned attacks on military and civilian targets in the kingdom. IRBID, Jordan — Seven men killed in armed clashes with Jordanian special forces had ties to the Islamic State extremist group and had planned attacks on military and civilian targets in the kingdom, the country’s intelligence service said Wednesday.
The arrest raid took place late Tuesday in the northern city of Irbid. The deadly confrontations, sparked by an arrest raid, took place late Tuesday in the northern city of Irbid. The men killed in the raid wore explosives belts, and weapons and explosives were found at the scene, according to the intelligence agency.
Security forces tracked the suspected militants to a residential building in Irbid, and troops opened fire with automatic weapons after the fugitives refused to surrender, the intelligence service said in a statement Wednesday. The agency did not elaborate on the fugitives’ ties to IS or provide details about their alleged plans. However, the night-time operation in downtown Irbid, accompanied by the sound of explosions and gunfire, underscored the potential threat to Jordan by extremists.
Seven wanted men wearing explosives belts were killed, along with a member of the security forces, it said. Weapons and explosives were found at the scene. The pro-Western kingdom is part of a U.S.-led military coalition against IS in neighboring Syria and Iraq. Security forces have also cracked down on suspected IS sympathizers in Jordan. Some of those expressing support for the group on social media have been sent to prison by military courts.
The statement said 13 men linked to the same group were detained in previous raids in Irbid, but did not say when those arrests took place. In the Irbid raid, troops tracked suspected militants to a residential building near the city center, surrounded it and opened fire with automatic weapons when the suspects refused to surrender, the intelligence agency said.
The statement did not elaborate on the suspects’ ties to IS or the planned attacks. A Jordanian officer was killed in the clashes, along with the seven wanted men. The intelligence service said 13 suspects linked to the group had been arrested in Irbid in previous raids, but did not say when those took place.
Pro-Western Jordan is part of a U.S.-led military coalition against IS in neighboring Syria and Iraq. Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour told parliament that the operation ended at 3 a.m. Wednesday. He said that extremists “are trying to reach our country which is stronger and more solid than they think.”
Jordanian security forces have also cracked down on suspected IS sympathizers in the kingdom. Some of those expressing support for the group on social media have been sent to prison by security courts. In downtown Irbid, security forces on Wednesday sealed off the area around the three-story residential building where the fugitives had been holed up. The facade was blackened.
The Irbid raids began late Tuesday. City resident Abdullah Nashwan said he heard the sound of shooting, and that security forces cut off power to parts of the city during the raids. Irbid Mayor Hussein Bani Hani said followers of a hard-line stream of Islam have become increasingly active in the city in the past two years. They were suspected, among other things, of vandalizing cemeteries because they believe graves should not be marked, he said.
“Security measures were beefed up in the city of Irbid since then,” he said.
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Associated Press writer Khetam Malkawi in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.