Israeli Diplomats Apparent Targets of Jordan Bombings
Two bombs exploded near a convoy of cars carrying three Israeli diplomats in Jordan on Thursday but none were hurt.
Israel’s ambassador to Jordan was apparently not in the vehicles.
The blast occurred at around 6 p.m. close to the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the West Bank.
The explosive device was detonated remotely. The blast flipped the cars over, but no one was injured.
Security forces rushed to the scene – Israel Defense Forces troops from one side and Jordanian security from the other. The IDF suspects that the attackers were watching the scene from a distance and had detonated the explosives at the wrong time.
Two Jordanian security sources said the attack targeted a top Israeli diplomat in Jordan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The spokeswoman at the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Merav Horsendi, confirmed there was a blast next to a convoy carrying embassy employees.
“All I can say now is that everyone is fine,” she said.
Israeli officials said the four passengers and two security guards in the convoy were heading to Israel for the weekend.
Asked about the report, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry said “we are checking and not commenting for now.”
Officials have warned of likely terror attacks against Israeli targets abroad for some time, with Hezbollah thought to seek revenge for the assassination of its deputy chief Imad Mughniyeh in 2008. Though Israel has denied any involvement in the assassination, the Lebanese militia has repeatedly accused Israel of orchestrating the Damascus bombing that killed Mughniyeh, and has vowed to avenge his death.
Over recent years, several attempts have been made to harm Israeli diplomats around the world, notably in an attempt to blow up the Israeli embassy in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku a year ago.
Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. Relations have become cool in recent years as the Israel-Palestinian conflict drags on without a solution. A significant portion of Jordan’s population is made up of Palestinians.
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