ALBAWABA - The Jordanian Armed Forces intercepted airborne objects in Irbid, northern Jordan, resulting in the injuries of two people and damage to many residences and cars, according to a report by Al Jazeera on Saturday.
Amid increased regional tensions after Israel's recent large-scale military campaign against Iran, the Jordanian army said Friday that the Royal Jordanian Air Force and air defense systems had intercepted several drones and missiles that had infiltrated Jordanian airspace.
According to the military, the interceptions were made because intelligence assessments showed the items were moving toward inhabited regions, where there was a significant danger of material damage and deaths. The army stressed that Jordan would not accept any infringement of its airspace under any circumstances and that it remained at the greatest level of preparedness to protect the kingdom and its population, even if it did not identify the rockets' origin.
The scenario is identical to what happened last year when Jordan responded to an earlier Israeli strike by intercepting Iranian missiles on their way to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that more than 200 fighter planes had hit Iranian military outposts, research institutions, and nuclear locations. Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israeli territory in response. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, promised Israel harsh retribution.
A related occurrence was that early on Saturday, Jordan's Public Security Directorate received a call about an item that had fallen on an Irbid residential residence, wounding three individuals. The wounded are in stable condition after being taken to a hospital. The event is being investigated by the Jordanian public security and military forces.
The residential area impacted by the effect was surrounded by a perimeter enforced by security personnel. Material damage from the item included broken glass in surrounding homes and cars, as well as a break in the wall of the residence. Residents were terrified as a result of the occurrence.
Authorities stressed the need of preserving public safety and asked the public to be cautious and to report any suspicious or explosive items right away.
