Missiles and drones: Inside Jordan’s unraveled ‘chaos cell’

Shafaq News/ Jordanian authorities on Tuesday unveiled the dismantling of a "dangerous cell" accused of plotting attacks against national security, following a sweeping four-year security operation.

During a press conference, Government Spokesperson and Minister of Government Communications Mohammad al-Momani announced the arrest of 16 individuals linked to four separate cases involving short-range missile production, high-explosive storage, automatic weapons possession, and drone manufacturing.

In the first case, a four-member cell allegedly smuggled and stockpiled explosives and automatic weapons. One suspect reportedly hid a Katyusha rocket in the Marj al-Hamam area, primed and ready for use.

The second case targeted three suspects who were building missiles using both local and imported components. Authorities raided two warehouses in Amman and Zarqa—one reinforced with concrete and equipped with hidden rooms. According to al-Momani, the group had secured foreign funding and training.

In the third case, suspects engineered drones with technical support from overseas sources and successfully produced a functioning prototype.

The fourth case involved recruiting, training, and dispatching individuals abroad to execute planned attacks aimed at undermining Jordan’s security.

All 16 suspects have been referred to the State Security Court. Al-Momani stressed that Jordan’s security forces will “continue working to protect the kingdom and confront any threat to its sovereignty and stability.”