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. The security forces neutralised the mother without harming her,” said the Internal Security Directorate.
Petra News Agency reported that three officers were wounded in the gunfight, and that the two brothers were wanted “for extremist-related investigations”. Weapons and ammunition were seized at the site. More details will be revealed, government spokesman Mohammad Al Momani said.
Jordan has a defence pact with Washington and political violence is rare. Clans in Ramtha and other parts of the north have close connections with the south of Syria.
Jordanian authorities have been dealing with the impact of the Gaza war and finding a new equilibrium with Damascus, where the government is headed by President Ahmad Al Shara, who led a rebel offensive that overthrew the Assad regime last December.
The authorities have intensified a crackdown on dissent since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, and imposed limits on protests in support of Palestinians that were mainly organised by the Muslim Brotherhood and its sympathisers.
The kingdom has a peace treaty with Israel, signed during the reign of King Hussein. The kingdom of Transjordan was carved out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, absorbing waves of Palestinian refugees in the last century. Current monarch King Abdullah, who has strongly criticised Israel for its actions in Gaza and the West Bank, has ruled since 1999.
In April, Jordan imposed a ban on the activities of the brotherhood after a dozen of its members were implicated in an alleged armed plot against the kingdom. Membership was prohibited and all of its offices in the kingdom closed. The Jordanian media has been banned from advocating for the group.
The authorities also launched legal action against organisations “operating under the influence” of the brotherhood as part of the escalating crackdown.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order starting the process of designating some chapters of the group as foreign terrorist organisations.
The White House singled out Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, saying they “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilisation campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests”.
