Two Jordanian gunmen were killed today and two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a clash at the border fence between Jordan and Israel, in the Arava Valley near the Red Sea. The gunmen reportedly crossed a few meters into southern Israel before opening fire.
Israel said their wounded were soldiers from the 727th Battalion. One of the soldiers was active duty and the other was a reservist. They said roads in the area are being blocked in the search for a possible third attacker. Israelis are also being told to stay indoors for now.
There were initial speculations that the two Jordanians were rogue soldiers wearing uniforms, though Jordan’s military has since said this was not the case, and none of their personnel were involved in the attack.
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood subsequently issued its own statement on the matter, saying that the two attackers were members of their organization. They said the attack was meant to support the ongoing resistance against Israel.
Israel is normally on relatively good terms with Jordan, though their ongoing attacks on literally all of their other neighbors (other than Egypt, which borders Gaza) has increased tensions everywhere. Last month, a Jordanian truck driver entered the occupied West Bank and attacked and killed three Israeli security guards near the border.
That shooting led to the temporary closure of all Israeli border crossings with Jordan. The two nations normally have several dozen trucks cross at their three different crossings on a daily basis.
