Jordanians nab weapons smuggling cell

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AMMAN, Jordan, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Jordanian police arrested five people they suspect planned to smuggle weapons into Syria and fight with jihadists, officials said.

A statement released by Jordan's Public Security Department said the five were arrested in the border village of Turra, The Jordan Times said Thursday. A large number of semi-automatic firearms were found in their possession, the Jordanian daily said.

A Jordanian security source said an initial investigation indicates the firearms were destined for jihadists in Daraa where the al-Qaida affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra Li Ahl al-Sham (The Front for Supporting the People of Syria) have been fighting regime forces for months.

"Due to information gathered from their mobile phones and computers, it was clear that these men were either supporting or attempting to join jihadist fighters in Syria," the source told the paper. The source was unable to confirm or deny whether the five had ties to Jordan's jihadist movement which is believed to have facilitated the entry of some 250 Jordanian fighters into Syria, the paper said.

A major security concern for Jordan has been the flow of citizens and foreign nationals into Syria to wage a "holy war." Because of this, Jordanian military patrols have beefed up their presence along the border with Syria, the paper said.