Jordan: Assad sent assassins to kill foes

Jordanian officials charge that Syria's president sent agents to Hashemite kingdom, say arrests prevented attacks against refugees, assassinations of former Assad soldiers

Smadar Peri|Published: 06.15.12 , 18:19

Jordanian officials are charging that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime sent would-be-assassins into the Hashemite kingdom in order to kill dissidents, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.

The agents reportedly entered Jordan under the guise of refugees and Syrian opposition activists seeking asylum.

'Armed agents nabbed'

The arrests of Assad's agents at refugee tents along the border with Syria and elsewhere prompted Jordanian officials to introduce stricter rules for taking in Syrian refugees.

Thus far, more than 125,000 Syrian refugees were reportedly taken in by Jordan. According to the new regulations issued by security officials, would-be-refugees must report to Jordan's embassy in Damascus and present relevant documents before coming in.

Meanwhile, Saudi newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Thursday that dozens of Assad supporters and Syrian intelligence agents were nabbed in Jordan in possession of smuggled arms and were returned to Damascus.

Russia denies allegations

Elsewhere, Russia, which has come under increasing criticism from the West for arms deliveries to Syria, responded to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's allegations that attack helicopters were on the way from Russia to Syria.

In a statement on the Foreign Ministry website, Russia said it had made no new deliveries of military helicopters to Syria but under old contracts it had repaired helicopters sent to Syria "many years ago."

"There are no new deliveries of Russian military helicopters to Syria. All arms industry cooperation with Syria is limited to a transfer of defensive arms," the ministry said on its website.