Shooting incident on Jordan border
Third incident on Israel's borders in recent days recorded Tuesday morning as Jordanian soldier opens fire at Border Guard patrol near Arava terminal north of Eilat. No injuries reported in incident
A Jordanian soldier opened fire at a Border Guard patrol Tuesday morning near the Arava border crossing north of Eilat. No injuries were reported in the shooting.
The incident occurred when the Israeli officers spotted a Jordanian soldier descending from a watchower and holding a gun in his hand. The soldier started shooting at the force, which responded with fire.
However, the Jordanian authorities denied that the soldier opened fire at the Israeli policemen.
The incident will be investigated by the Border Guard regional commander in cooperation with other security agencies in the area.
Samo Samorai, manager for regional cooperation spoke with Hosni Abu Ghaida, chief of Aqaba's Special Economic Zone Authority, who was surprised by the incident but urges both sides to maintain calm.
A worker at the crossing told Ynet that a Jordanian soldier shot at an Israeli jeep shortly after 6:45 am. "In the meantime the terminal is closed and it's unclear when it will be opened again," she said.
The Israel Airport Authority, which operates the terminal, said that the matter was being handled by security forces.
Tuesday's incident is the third to be recorded on Israel's borders in recent days.
On Sunday, a Syrian man, believed to be a civilian operating on his own, fired two gunshots on Israeli civilians and soldiers making repairs on the Israeli side of the border fence in the north.
No one was injured in the incident, but vehicles were damaged.
Last Thursday a Katyusha barrage was fired at Nahariya, injuring two people and causing five others to suffer shock. Hizbullah denied any involvement in the shooting, which was apparently perpetrated by a prop-Palestinian organization.
Initial report received via Red Email
Yael Levy and Reuters contributed to the report
