Jordan’s government spokesman said a “terrorist attack” on a local office of the national intelligence agency on Monday killed five employees, suggesting Islamic militants were involved.
(FOX)- Such attacks are relatively rare in Jordan, even though the pro-Western kingdom is on the front line in the military campaign against Islamic State extremists who control large areas of neighboring Syria and Iraq.
The attack took place before 7 a.m., said government spokesman Mohammed Momani. He didn’t say how the attack was carried out, but suggested those involved were Islamic militants.
He described them as “criminal elements who don’t represent our moderate religion” and who “spilled blood on the first day of Ramadan,” the Muslim fasting month.
The targeted security office is a two-story building facing the Palestinian refugee camp of Baqaa near the Jordanian capital of Amman. The camp has a population of tens of thousands, including many Syrian refugees who have settled there since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011.
Several hours after the attack, the access road to the security compound was closed. Security agents were visible outside the building, including masked members of the counter-terrorism squad.