Jordanian Army halts four individuals attempting to infiltrate via southern borders

The Jordanian Army announced on Sunday the detention of two individuals of Uzbek nationality and two others of Kazakh nationality who attempted to infiltrate the kingdom through its southern borders, without specifying their country of origin. 

A statement from the army quoted a military source saying, "The southern military zone, in coordination with specialized security military agencies, thwarted last Saturday evening... an attempt by four individuals, two of Uzbek nationality and two of Kazakh nationality, to infiltrate." 

The source did not specify the country from which these individuals attempted to infiltrate, noting that Jordan shares its southern borders with Israel and Saudi Arabia. 

He added, "Border guard forces applied engagement rules, apprehended them, and handed them over to the relevant authorities," confirming the seriousness of the armed forces in "preventing any infiltration or smuggling attempt." 

The Jordanian Army often announces the thwarting of infiltration attempts towards the kingdom. 

Most of these infiltration attempts involve individuals and drug smuggling from Syria, which has been experiencing a bloody conflict since 2011, resulting in the death of over half a million people and causing immense destruction, displacement, and refugee crises within and outside the country. 

Jordan, which hosts around 1.6 million Syrian refugees, has tightened measures at its borders with Syria, spanning approximately 375 kilometers. It has detained and imprisoned numerous fighters, including a significant number of jihadists, for attempting to infiltrate Syrian territory for combat purposes. Dozens of drug traffickers have also been arrested. 

Rare infiltration incidents into the kingdom through the borders with Israel, with which Jordan has a treaty dating back to 1994, are also recorded. 

On August 2 of the current year, the army announced the arrest of an Israeli who attempted to infiltrate across the borders with Israel. 

In January 2020, a Jordanian court sentenced an Israeli to four months in prison and fined him around $1500 for attempting to infiltrate the kingdom. 

The Israeli individual, arrested in October 2019, was charged with "unlawful entry into the kingdom's territories" and "drug possession." 

The penalty for unarmed infiltration in Jordan ranges from three months to one year in prison, while the penalty for drug possession for personal use varies between three months and three years, and can extend up to 20 years if intended for trafficking. 

AFP