AMMAN , Jordan, April 17 (UPI) -- In defending its border with Syria, Jordan took the unusual move of firing upon vehicles from the air that were crossing the border, destroying a convoy of three trucks.
The Jordanian armed forces said in a statement its warplane fired upon the vehicles Wednesday after security demands and warning shots were ignored. “The army will not tolerate such actions,” it said, even though the border is routinely crossed by smugglers, Syrian insurgents and refugees.
No information was given about the occupants of the vehicles, which were pickup trucks. Syrian state media said they were not a part of the Syrian army.
Jordan has attempted to maintain a low profile in Syria’s civil war, fearing violence could spread over the border. It has also sought to regulate the flow of refugees streaming from Syria, of whom 600,000 are registered in Jordan. It has, however, offered limited military help to rebel groups it considers non-extremist.
Jordan also arrests smugglers at its border, but airstrikes such as those on Wednesday are rare.
[New York Times]
