AMMAN, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Border Guard forces on Sunday killed five people and arrested two others during attempts to infiltrate the Jordanian border from Syria, the state-run Petra news agency reported.
The troops in the past 72 hours handled nine vehicles that tried to approach the Jordanian side of the frontier via the Al Tanf crossing on the northeastern border region, applying the rules of engagement and forcing them to retreat into Syrian territory under a hail of fire, according to a statement by the Jordan Armed Forces, Arab Army, Command Headquarters.
Shortly after the incident, it added, one of the vehicles, a pickup truck, and two motorcycles returned, heading toward Jordanian territory, where troops opened fire killing five people and destroying the vehicle and the motorcycles and also damaged a second car that came to rescue them.
Border guards also foiled another attempt by two persons to cross the frontier from Syria, arresting them and referring them to the competent authorities, the statement added.
Since the start of the unrest in Syria in 2011, Jordan foiled scores of attempts by militants to infiltrate into Jordan and others to smuggle weapons and drugs into the Kingdom.
