AP, Amman, Jordan, 25 July 2014 — Jordan’s air force shot down an “aerial target” near the Syrian border on Friday, a Jordanian military official said, while eyewitnesses said the object was a drone.
It was not immediately clear where the object came from, but there have been reports of intense fighting in the southern Syrian province of Daraa that borders Jordan.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the incident occurred around dawn.
He said the target was followed by Jordan’s air force and shot down over an empty area in the province of Mafraq.”We will firmly and strongly deal with any violation of the kingdom’s land, air space or territorial waters,” the official said. “The armed forces will not allow any infringement of the country’s security.” Witnesses said a drone was shot down near the Zaatari camp, which is home to more than 120,000 Syrian refugees fleeing civil war.
In April, Jordanian warplanes struck a convoy of vehicles as they were trying to enter Jordan from Syria. The Jordanian military said the aircraft destroyed the vehicles after firing warning shots. Jordan hosts nearly 600,000 registered Syrian refugees — although Jordanian officials say the real number is far higher.
The kingdom has quietly supported Syria’s rebels since the start of the uprising against Bashar Assad in 2011, and ordered Syria’s ambassador out in May after accusing him of making “offensive” statements about Jordan.