Egypt Daily News – Jordan announced on Tuesday the arrest of 16 individuals linked to the Muslim Brotherhood who had received training and funding in Lebanon and were planning to carry out attacks on targets within the Kingdom using rockets and drones. Authorities stated that at least one rocket was ready for launch as part of an operation that had been under security surveillance since 2021.
A security source said the suspects are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition group in the country, and that the leader of the cell, who trained some of its members, was based in Lebanon.
The Muslim Brotherhood has faced accusations of inciting anti-government protests in Jordan, which is home to a large Palestinian population.
In a statement, Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate said the plans included the manufacturing of rockets and a drone production project.
The statement said the plots “aimed to harm national security and cause chaos and physical sabotage within the Kingdom.”
The suspects have been referred to the State Security Court.
Prominent security analyst Amer Sabaileh said, “We are talking about new tactics—rockets and drones. This signals a major shift in how the Muslim Brotherhood is approaching Jordan and targeting its security.”
Government spokesperson Mohammad Al-Momani said at a press conference that the government will release the full confessions of the suspects, some of whom had received training in Lebanon.
He added that the rockets, which were found in a hidden cache on the outskirts of the capital, were being manufactured with ranges between three and five kilometers for use against targets inside the country.
A security source said dozens of rockets were discovered.
Last year, Jordan announced that it had thwarted attempts to smuggle weapons by infiltrators linked to Iran-backed groups in Syria and Palestinian factions based in Lebanon.
Jordanian officials said some of these weapons were destined for the occupied West Bank, and that they had arrested a number of Jordanians connected to Palestinian militants.
Security officials said the incidents are classified as terrorism-related, based on the quantities of explosives found.
They added that the plots are tied to covert Iranian efforts and those of its allies to recruit operatives to carry out sabotage operations inside Jordan, aiming to destabilize one of Washington’s key allies in the region.
Jordan hosts more than 3,500 U.S. troops stationed at several bases, and since the outbreak of war between Israel and Palestinian fighters in Gaza in October 2023, the Kingdom has increasingly become a target for Iran-backed groups in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
