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Hamas stored weapons in north Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan, April 25 (UPI) -- Hamas again denied Jordan's claims of arms-smuggling and monitoring targets, charging Amman is party to the international bid to isolate the militant group.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahri said in comments to the press Tuesday: "We reject the Jordanian accusations because they are not founded and are rather personal charges." He was apparently referring to the rift between Jordan's King Abdullah and Hamas Politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, who was evicted from Jordan seven years ago.

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Abu Zahri accused Jordan of participating "in the international campaign against Hamas and the Palestinian people," in reference to suspension of aid to the Hamas-led government.

Earlier Tuesday, the Jordanian government said the weapons smuggled by Hamas were stored in north Jordan.

Government spokesman Nasser Jawdeh said that a person arrested by the authorities in connection with the Hamas-smuggled weapons "guided the intelligence agencies to the arms warehouse in a village in the north of the country," adding that intelligence officers had seized the weapons in the presence of the prosecutor general.

Jordan announced last week that it had aborted Hamas plans to smuggle weapons from a neighboring country, believed to be Syria, store them in Jordan and monitor vital targets.

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Hamas charged the story was fabricated to cancel a visit by Hamas' Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahhar, which was to take place shortly after the story broke.

Jawdeh said the smuggled arms included explosives and rockets and that Hamas' plans were about to be carried out against installations and people.

He said several suspects had been arrested, but refused to give further details that might affect the investigation.

Jordanian Prime Minister Maaruf Bakheet briefed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on evidence implicating Hamas during a weekend meeting.

Abbas said the information he received was stunning and dangerous, stressing his objection to any attempt to undermine Jordan's security.

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