A security officer testified on Wednesday in the case of six men standing trial at the State Security Court (SSC) charged with launching a rocket attack in Aqaba in 2005 that killed a Jordanian soldier. A total of 12 defendants are being tried in the case including seven Syrians, four Iraqis and one Saudi. Six of the defendants are being tried in absentia. The group is also charged with conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and the possession and use of explosives. Eight of the 12 defendants face the additional charge of committing acts that undermine relations with a foreign country. Major Nidal K. from the General Intelligence Department (GID) told the court yesterday that on Aug. 22, 2005, one of the defendants guided him to a forest area near the Queen Alia Airport highway where he discovered a petrol tank belonging to a black Mercedes car. “The defendant told me he replaced the car’s tank with a special one designed to fit the rockets in,” the GID officer told the court.
According to the prosecution, the defendants smuggled seven rockets into Aqaba and stored them in a warehouse in the city along with timing devices. The intended targets of the rockets were two US warships docked in the port on Aug. 19, 2005. Four rockets malfunctioned, while the remaining three missed their targets.