Jordan Intercepts Eight Iranian Missiles
AMMAN: The Jordanian military said it successfully intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, while the Islamic republic claimed it had targeted a United States (US) military base in the country in a fresh exchange of attacks between Tehran and Washington.
“Using air defence systems, the Jordanian military successfully intercepted and shot down eight missiles launched from Iran towards Jordanian territory today, Thursday,” according to a military statement.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had attacked an American command and control centre in West Asia as well as an enemy airbase in Al-Azraq, Jordan, using 10 ballistic missiles.
The IRGC also warned that if the American terrorist forces repeated their aggression, other US military bases in the region would not escape its fierce attacks.
The missile launch occurred on the second consecutive day of tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran.
It included dozens of US airstrikes on Iran, thus testing the resilience of a fragile ceasefire as the two adversaries clash over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The Jordanian military said the missile interception caused debris to fall in several locations. However, no casualties or property damage were reported.
The military also stressed that it would not allow any violation of Jordanian airspace by any party.
Earlier on Thursday, Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said warning sirens were sounded after the country’s airspace was breached by missiles launched from Iran, before all were successfully intercepted.
This is the first time Jordan has announced it has successfully intercepted Iranian missiles since June 11, when its military said it had shot down 20 missiles after the IRGC claimed to have targeted an American military command centre in Jordan in response to US attacks on Iran.
The Al-Azraq area hosts a Jordanian airbase previously used by US, German, Belgian and French troops as part of the campaign against the Daesh group.
AFP