AMMAN: Officials at Jordan’s General Intelligence Department said on Tuesday they had foiled a series of plots targeting the country’s national security, the Jordan News Agency reported.
The GID arrested 16 individuals suspected of “planning acts of chaos and sabotage,” according to the agency.
Authorities said the department had been monitoring the group’s activities since 2021.
The foiled plans reportedly involved the manufacture of missiles using both locally sourced materials and imported components. Explosives and firearms were also found.
Investigators additionally uncovered a missile that had been concealed and prepared for deployment.
In addition to the weapons cache, the suspects were allegedly engaged in efforts to develop drones, recruit and train individuals within the country, and send others abroad for further training.
All the individuals arrested have been referred to the State Security Court for legal proceedings, the GID confirmed.
A televised report aired on Jordanian television on Tuesday revealed further details about the cell, identifying three main operatives behind the plot, which was allegedly spearheaded by Ibrahim Mohammad — a key instigator affiliated with the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group, the JNA reported.
Ibrahim, who is already on trial in a separate case involving the transport and storage of nearly 30 kilograms of high-grade explosives including TNT, C4, and SEMTEX-H, reportedly urged others to manufacture rockets inside Jordan.
According to confessions from the suspects, two members of the cell — Abdullah Hisham and Muath Al-Ghanem — were sent to Lebanon to coordinate with a senior figure in the organization and receive training.
A third operative, Muhsen Al-Ghanem, was tasked with transferring funds from abroad to finance the operation, JNA added.
The group established operational hubs in the governorates of Zarqa and Amman, setting up a manufacturing site and a warehouse in the Nuqaira area of the capital.
The warehouse, concealed behind a camouflaged cement door, was used to store raw materials, prototype rocket parts, and completed assemblies.
Security forces uncovered metal components in the suspects’ homes, including tubular and conical shapes consistent with improvised rocket designs. When assembled, the parts formed short-range rockets modelled on the GRAD system, ready to be fitted with explosives, turbines, and detonators.
Technical analysis suggested the seized materials were sufficient to produce up to 300 such rockets, each with a range of 3–5 kilometers.
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