Jordan: Suicide Attack Raises Fears in Syria's Neighbor
| Publisher | Jamestown Foundation |
| Author | Alexander Sehmer |
| Publication Date | 24 June 2016 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 13 |
| Cite as | Jamestown Foundation, Jordan: Suicide Attack Raises Fears in Syria's Neighbor, 24 June 2016, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/577268384.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Link to original story on Jamestown website
A suicide car bomber killed six members of Jordan's security forces and injured 14 others at a military post on the border with Syria, close to the al-Rukban refugee camp on June 21. Following the incident, Jordan closed the border, terming the area a closed military zone, and has so far resisted calls from human rights groups to reopen it (al-Bawaba, June 23). Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees rely on aid deliveries from the Jordanian side of the border, and the closure makes their situation even more precarious.
Jordanian intelligence had warned of the possibility of Islamic State fighters infiltrating the camp. Many of the more than 60,000 refugees at Rukban have come from areas in eastern and central Syria that are under IS control. Despite the military build-up in the area, the influx of people into what is essentially a no-man's land has been difficult for the Jordanians to monitor effectively.
Jordan tightened security checks at the beginning of the month and reduced the number of people allowed across the border from 300 per day to just 150 (Asharq al-Awsat, June 23). Nonetheless, there are questions to be asked about the effectiveness of Jordanian security measures. The suicide bomber was able to drive a booby-trapped car up to the border post despite restrictions imposed by Jordanian forces, reportedly at the behest of U.S. intelligence agents, on how close vehicles can approach (Haaretz, June 23).
Despite its proximity to the Syrian conflict, Jordan has remained relatively unscathed. There are, however, suggestions IS has a presence of sorts in Jordan. In March, Jordanian forces broke up an IS-affiliated cell based in the northern city of Irbid, killing seven suspected militants in what was Jordan's largest security operation in years (al-Bawaba, March 2).
Jordan's refugee camps, with their large disaffected populations, are a likely hotspot for jihadists. Some commentators argue such elements have been there for years. An attack on June 6 on an intelligence base at the Baqaa camp, a Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Amman, left five people dead. The attack may have been the work of a lone, disaffected camp resident rather than an IS sympathizer (Jordan Times, June 6). It remains to be seen whether, following the Rukban attack, IS has now set Jordan in its sights.
