Five Jordanian officers killed at UNRWA camp in Jordan

Baqaa camp archive photo

BBC reports:

Five people have been killed in an attack on Jordanian intelligence officers at a Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of the capital, Amman, government officials say.

They described the incident as a "terrorist attack".

At least three of the five people killed were intelligence officers, the officials said.

The attack took place at the sprawling Baqaa camp north of Amman at about 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

The Baqaa camp was one of six set up in 1968 for Palestinian refugees fleeing the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Government spokesman Mohammed Momani said the "cowardly" attack targeted the intelligence agency office at the camp. No other details have been given so far.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) says Baqaa is the largest camp in Jordan.

It is believed to house more than 100,000 refugees.

UNRWA says the camp continues to face major challenges, including unemployment, poverty and the need for structural repair.

Al Arabiya adds:

“This attack was obviously a deliberate attack that the group, whoever is responsible, that they are present in Jordan and are capable of carrying attacks,” Former Jordanian Minister of Information Samih al-Maaytah told Al Arabiya News Channel.

“They clearly chose to attack the intelligence group as the Jordanians are one of the best intelligence groups in the Arab world,” he added.

Maaytah also added that the attack should not be seen as a major attack as the office was administrative in nature serving Palestinian refugees.

“There is a chase currently taking place against the perpetrators of the attack. Investigations are currently taking place. It is not sure as of yet if this was the work of organized group or a lone wolf attack,” Al Arabiya News Channel’s correspondent Ghassan Abuloz reported.

Al Arabiya sources reported that Jordanian security forces captured two attackers a few hours after the attack.

Last month Jordan killed 8 ISIS members who were planning an attack, an there were fears that there would be more attacks in revenge.

It seems unlikely that this was a "lone-wolf" attack, and it remains to be seen if Palestinians were behind it.

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