Sources said on Tuesday that the terror organization of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has opened a clandestine branch in Jordan to prepare for its expansion into the region.
Although military sources reported no “unusual movement” along the Iraq border, one source familiar with the situation stressed that border guards “remain on high alert” as ISIL continues to make gains in nearby western Iraq.
Despite having a low-profile presence in Jordan over the past six months, with over 800 Jordanian nationals reportedly serving under the ranks of ISIL, the movement has allegedly been reluctant to open an official branch in Jordan due to its ongoing rivalry with Al Qaeda, which retains larger popularity and support among extremists in the country.
According to some other news, the ISIL has launched its office in Jordan to get more supports from Jordanian administrative figures within government to continue their offensives in Iraq.
Senior members of Jordan’s hard-line Salafist movement, which keep strong ties with both Al Qaeda and the Baghdad-based ISIL terrorist group, had previously mediated “understandings” with the ISIL to forego expansion into the country in a bid to prevent ongoing war in Syria to spill over into the country.
In the wake of ISIL’s rapid gains in northern and western Iraq last week, Jordanian extremists sources fear that the previous pacts “are no longer being honored”.
However the Jordanian MPs filed this request during the Lower House’s session on Sunday, calling on Speaker Atef Tarawneh to schedule a “special” meeting with the government to discuss the ramifications of the ongoing fighting in Iraq on Jordan.
“The situation in Iraq and in particular on our eastern border with this country is a source of concern for everyone,” MP Bassam Manaseer said.
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