Jordan Covers Explosives and Drone Plot Linked to Muslim Brotherhood, 16 Detained

Major drone and rocket terror plot foiled by Jordan; suspects trained in Lebanon and have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Jordan claims to have detained 16 individuals, foiling a plot that involved the illegal import and manufacture of explosives, drone production equipment, and rockets that posed a threat to national security. The General Intelligence Department claimed in a statement on Tuesday that it had discovered preparations to recruit and train "operatives" in neighboring Lebanon and Jordan.

By the announcement posted on state media, a factory for drones was also found. It also added that the suspects were referred to the state security court to face prosecution. Authorities said that at least one rocket was prepared for launch as part of an operation that security officers had been monitoring since 2021.

A security source informed the Reuters news agency that the individuals had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the nation's biggest opposition organization. Some of the suspects received instruction from a cell commander who was stationed in Lebanon.

In Jordan, where there is a significant Palestinian population, the Muslim Brotherhood has been blamed for inciting public demonstrations. There have been thousands of protests every month during the past several months as retaliation for Israel's fatal attack on the trapped Gaza Strip, in which over 51,000 Palestinians have died since December of 2023. Demonstrators have called for an immediate ceasefire.

Reuters interviewed senior security analyst Amer Al Sabaileh regarding a shift in the Muslim Brotherhood's strategy, which now involves the use of rockets and drones. Some of the suspects were trained in Lebanon, government spokesman Mohammad Momani said, also announcing plans to air the confessions of the suspects. Missiles capable of traveling three to five kilometers had been found at a secret bunker near Amman, he said.