Exchanges of gunfire occurred on Wednesday between Jordanian border troops and Islamist entities, according to a security source who spoke to Turkish press outlet Anadolu Agency. While the specific instance has yet to receive comment from the Jordanian government, officials have previously confirmed that the Islamic State (ISIS) has attempted to infiltrate the Jordan-Syria border.
The source claimed, “The Jordanian border guards engaged in an exchange of fire with identified gunmen across the border [with Syria], but no injuries were reported.” The intelligence source suspected that the Islamist forces had tried to infiltrate the border before being spotted by Jordanian forces.
On Tuesday, Jordanian officials confirmed that they would take part in U.S.-led strikes against Islamist forces in Iraq and Syria.
According to Mohammad Al-Momani, Jordanian minister of state for Media Affairs:
Jordan since early in the morning has started to launch an airstrike through our royal air forces to attack the positions of the terrorist organization ISIS. This comes in light of our declared policy of targeting terrorist organizations that continue to threaten the security and safety of our country.
Al-Momani confirmed reports of Islamist attempts to infiltrate Jordan. “Over the last couple of days there has been attempts to infiltrate the borders of Jordan, and we cannot tolerate for this to continue to happen. We will do whatever it takes to stop the attacks on our borders,” he said.
On Wednesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, calling for a joint plan to defeat the Islamic State and other terror outfits. He said, “Those who say ‘this is not our business’ are wrong. The security of every nation will be shaped by the fate of the Middle East. Together, we can and must undertake urgent humanitarian and security measures to create durable solutions for today’s crises.”
“The terrorists and criminals targeting Syria, Iraq and other countries today are extreme reflections of a global threat,” added Abdullah. “Our international community needs a collective strategy to contain and defeat these groups.”
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