Jordan Arrests 16 Over Alleged Brotherhood-Linked Plot Involving Missiles and Drones By The Media Line Staff Jordanian authorities have arrested 16 people suspected of planning attacks involving rockets and drones, in a case tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. The General Intelligence Department said the suspects had been working to build missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles […]
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The Media Line: Jordan Arrests 16 Over Alleged Brotherhood-Linked Plot Involving Missiles and Drones
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Jordan Arrests 16 Over Alleged Brotherhood-Linked Plot Involving Missiles and Drones
By The Media Line Staff
Jordanian authorities have arrested 16 people suspected of planning attacks involving rockets and drones, in a case tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. The General Intelligence Department said the suspects had been working to build missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles using locally sourced and imported components. Firearms, explosives, and at least one rocket ready for launch were reportedly seized.
The alleged plot, which had been under surveillance since 2021, also involved recruitment and overseas training in Lebanon, where the cell’s leader was said to be based. The statement did not identify the intended targets of the attacks, but did not mention Israel.
Separately, Arabic-language media reported that Khaled El Juhani, parliamentary bloc director of the Islamic Action Front—a political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood—was also arrested, though it was unclear if he was among the 16 named suspects.
The arrests come as Jordan faces growing political polarization. In the September 2024 elections, the Islamic Action Front significantly expanded its presence in parliament, tripling its seats amid a wave of public anger over Israel’s war in Gaza. The party’s surge has deepened concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in Jordanian politics.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, but public sentiment—especially among the kingdom’s majority Palestinian population—has grown increasingly hostile. Tensions have been fueled by anti-Israel rhetoric from IAF politicians, protests in Amman, and recent violent incidents. King Abdullah has sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, while warning of rising instability across the region.