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Jordan says it stopped attempt to smuggle weapons from Syria

AMMAN, Jordan, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Five people were arrested in the attempted smuggling of large quantities of weapons into Jordan from war-torn Syria, the Jordanian military said Monday

A vehicle was seized but details were not given on the type or number of weapons in a report from the Jordan News Agency, known also as PetraNews.

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Jordan, a Western ally, has been instrumental in helping the region cope with the burden of Syria's civil war.

During mid-February meetings in Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama told Jordan's King Abdullah II he would work to renew a five-year aid package to help Jordan deal with a heavy flow of Syrian refugees.

The United Nations estimates Syrian refugees cross the border into Jordan at an average rate of 300 people per day. As of Feb. 8, there were 571,457 Syrians registered as refugees in Jordan.

Jordanian Interior Minister Hussein Hazza Majali said Monday the "massive" number of Syrian refugees was putting a strain on Jordan's economy, Petra reported.

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