Jordanian security forces have killed two militants in the city of Ramtha in the first major anti-terrorism operation since a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in April.
The raid occurred in Banks Street, a residential and commercial area in the centre of Ramtha, which is on Jordan's northern border with Syria. Electricity was cut off from the district as security forces exchanged fire with members of the Musallam family, residents said.
“The family was known to have been heavily armed,” said one resident who declined to be named. He said that the two brothers had barricaded themselves inside a house and the sound of gunfire echoed in the area. Banks Street remained cordoned off, and many shops in Ramtha's centre closed.
The authorities have been seeking to curb the smuggling of narcotics and weapons in the area. Sources in Ramtha said the operation late on Tuesday appeared to be unrelated to the anti-smuggling efforts.
State television described the two brothers as outlaws who “carry expiatory ideology” − a euphemism for religious extremists. Pro-government media described them as members of a terrorist organisation, without specifying which one. “They used their mother as a human shield.
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