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Middle East
Jordan conducts mass arrests
Authorities detain dozens in relation to failed bomb attack on Israeli diplomats.
Last Modified: 01 Feb 2010 05:48 GMT
Two bombs went off near the King Hussein Bridge on January 14 as an Israeli convoy passed [AFP]

Jordanian authorities have arrested several people in connection with a failed bomb attack on Israeli diplomats two weeks ago, Jordanian officials say.

The arrests came during a police crackdown on "Muslim Salafists", the AP news agency reported, referring to people who seek to revive a strict Muslim doctrine dating back to the 6th century.

He said the crackdown was continuing across the country.

Two remote-controlled bombs were detonated near the King Hussein Bridge, which connects Jordan to the West Bank, just as the convoy of diplomats visiting Jordan passed.

No one was killed or injured in the January 14 attack, which took place as four diplomats and two security guards were heading to Israel for the weekend from Amman, according to reports.

It was the first roadside bombing in Jordan and exposed a security gap for Israeli diplomats.

CIA-killing arrests

Separately, more than 40 people were arrested in relation to the Jordanian who blew himself up in Afghanistan in December, killing seven CIA agents, a Jordanian security official said on Sunday.

"More than 40 Jordanian jihadists, including ex-convicts, have been arrested following the Khost attack," the official told the AFP news agency on Monday.

"They were arrested in several parts of Jordan for interrogation."

Humam Khalil al-Balawi blew himself up at a US military base in Khost near the Pakistani border on December 30, killing seven CIA agents and his handler - a senior Jordanian intelligence officer and member of the royal family.

Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
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