In a rare public disclosure, Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate (GID) announced Monday that it had dismantled a long-gestating terrorist plot linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, seizing explosives, short-range rockets, and detaining 16 individuals accused of attempting to “sow chaos” inside the Kingdom.
The group, monitored since 2021, had constructed weapons production infrastructure across two governorates, including a rocket assembly facility in Zarqa and an explosives depot in Amman, according to the GID’s statement and footage released alongside it. Authorities said the plotters had imported specialized parts from abroad, trained operatives in Lebanon, and possessed the materials to build as many as 300 improvised rockets.
Rockets, Explosives, and Cross-Border Coordination
Investigators say the cell’s core operations revolved around Ibrahim Mohammad, a Jordanian national and long-time Brotherhood member. According to confessions aired in the GID’s footage, Mohammad coordinated with an unnamed leader based in Beirut—identified by the alias “Abu Ahmad”—and oversaw the recruitment and training of cell members, including trips to Lebanon for technical instruction in rocket production.
The agency claims one rocket was already assembled and ready for deployment, with an estimated range of 3–5 kilometers—enough to target urban areas or strategic sites within Jordan.
Among the materials seized were roughly 30 kilograms of TNT, C4, and SEMTEX-H, all high-grade explosives typically used in military applications. Metal tubes, cone-shaped parts, and improvised launcher elements resembling those found on Russian BM-21 “Grad” systems were also recovered.
Brotherhood Ties Traced Through Confessions
Three primary figures in the operation—Abdullah Hisham, Muath al Ghanem, and Mohsen al Ghanem—detailed their connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, their roles in procurement and logistics, and their instructions from Ibrahim.
Abdullah Hisham, who claimed to have joined the Brotherhood as a student in 2002, said he was approached in 2021 to begin scouting warehouse space and manufacturing locations. He recruited his cousin Muath, a member since 2010, to assist with materials procurement and production setup.
Mohsen al Ghanem, affiliated with the Brotherhood since 1994, was tasked with receiving and transferring foreign funds. He admitted to transporting $20,000 from Ibrahim to finance rocket-building activities.
All three confessed to traveling to Lebanon, where they received hands-on training in manufacturing and weapon design.
A Broader Message from the GID
The video, broadcast on national television and shared on GID-affiliated platforms, appears to serve multiple audiences: domestic viewers, regional intelligence partners, and international observers monitoring ideological militancy in the Levant.
By revealing the cache of explosives and the alleged Brotherhood connection, Jordan’s security establishment is sending a clear message about its ongoing posture against both armed extremism and political Islam’s more clandestine branches.
“The plot aimed at manufacturing weapons using both local tools and imported parts for illegal purposes,” the GID said in a formal statement. “It also included the planning and coordination of sabotage operations inside the Kingdom.”
A Rare Look Inside Jordan’s Counterterrorism Operations
While Jordan routinely monitors Islamist movements, it rarely reveals this level of operational detail. Monday’s disclosure included:
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Drone development plans: Cell members had begun experimenting with drone assembly, suggesting ambitions beyond traditional munitions.
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Explosives knowledge: Components indicated familiarity with advanced demolition materials and improvised detonation techniques.
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Organized cross-border coordination: The use of Lebanese-based leadership points to a networked strategy involving more than isolated radicals.
Jordan’s security services, long considered among the most effective in the region, have foiled several plots in the past, including attempts by ISIS affiliates and rogue actors. But the reemergence of a Brotherhood-linked plot marks a notable development—one that may recalibrate how regional governments assess the threat posture of Islamist groups traditionally seen as non-violent or politically focused.
Regional Ramifications
The announcement comes amid growing tensions in the Levant, where proxy forces and transnational networks continue to blur lines between militant insurgency and political activism.
In recent years, Jordan has increasingly aligned itself with Gulf allies in casting the Muslim Brotherhood as a destabilizing influence. Egypt and the UAE have long categorized the group as a terrorist organization, while other governments—such as Turkey and Qatar—maintain more nuanced relationships.
Analysts say the revelation could complicate diplomatic equations if further evidence ties the Beirut-based coordinator to state-backed elements or regional factions.
What Comes Next
The GID has referred the 16 detained individuals for prosecution under Jordan’s anti-terrorism laws, which carry long sentences and, in some cases, capital punishment.
For now, the focus remains on securing remaining caches, dismantling support infrastructure, and identifying other cells that may be operating under similar guidance.
But beyond arrests and weapons seizures, the announcement signals something deeper: a strategic intent to cast light on hidden threats—and to name them.
