Terror suspects arrested in Jordan this week are linked to Al-Qaeda and were planning to carry out an attack under orders from Jordanian Mussab al-Zarqawi, an alleged leader of the network in Iraq believed responsible for attacks there, the press reported Friday. Without giving a source, the official daily Al-Rai said the people arrested "belong to Al-Qaeda," and that the "group was trying to carry out an attack under orders of Fadel Nazzal al-Khalayleh," which is Zarqawi's real name. Jordanian government spokeswoman Asma Khodr declined to confirm or deny the report, but said a "detailed statement will be issued on this affair. "To disclose information at this stage could hurt the investigation," she explained.
On Thursday, officials said police were hunting for two cars laden with explosives driven in from Syria after the arrest of several suspects, with one senior official saying several "terrorists" were still on the run. Security was stepped up across Amman, particularly around hotels, government ministries, the prime minister's office, state radio and television building and the US embassy. Police also set up checkpoints to stop and check cars, and Khodr said "all possible security measures" had been taken to protect the public. "A number of individuals suspected of links to a terrorist group were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday, while others are on the run and we are searching for them," she said. Another Jordanian official said one car filled with explosives was already seized during the arrests. Police ran the pictures of Suleiman Darwish, Azmi Jayussi and Mowaffak Odwan in Jordanian newspapers on Thursday appealing for "information that leads to the arrest of the suspects" and offering a ""financial reward". An official said the trio had ties with a group arrested by authorities last year. |