Jordanian border guards kill 5 people near Tanf

[TomSea]

Jordanian border guards kill 5 people near Tanf

Syrian border town has been flashpoint recently after militias backed by Iran attempted to attack a US garrison there

Reuters    Sunday 11 June 2017 12:50 UTC

Jordanian border guards killed five people who were approaching its frontier near Tanf, a Syrian desert town where US special forces training rebels are based.

The town has been a flashpoint in recent weeks as militias backed by Iran have tried to get near the US garrison, prompting US coalition jets to strike back.

Tanf lies near the strategic Damascus-Baghdad highway that was once a major weapons supply route for Iranian weapons into Syria.

The Jordanian army said on Sunday it destroyed a car and two motorbikes in the incident.

The army statement did not give any details of the identity of the men and whether they were smugglers or militants in the area, where Jordan's northeastern borders meet both Iraq and Syria.

Continued: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jordanian-border-guards-kill-five-people-near-tanf-581895545

[EC]

Two of the main smuggling routes run west of Tanf. They're smoother and in better condition than the official road.

[Cripplecreek]

I remember the most recent round of Gulf war when the media was showing a couple of Iraqi border guards at the border with Jordan. They looked pretty tough facing a whole convoy of American troops and armor as the sun went down.

At dawn that border post was clearly deserted.