Special to WorldTribune.com

AMMAN — Jordan’s military has shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle flying from neighboring Syria.

The Jordanian military said anti-aircraft batteries intercepted a UAV that entered from Syria. The military said the UAV was detected by Jordan’s Air Defense Command and tracked to the Mafraq province.

“Royal Jordanian Air Force fighter-jets followed the target and shot it down in an open area over Mafraq,” the military said on July 25.

This marked the first time that Jordan reported Syrian UAV operations along the borders of the Hashemite kingdom. The UAV was said to have been monitoring heavy rebel fighting in southern Syria, particularly in the Dera province.

A military source said the UAV was spotted over the Syrian refugee camp of Zaatari, which contains 100,000 Syrians who fled to Jordan over the last three years. The source said the UAV was shot down by an anti-aircraft battery.

This marked the second infiltration attempt from Syria in 2014. In April, Jordanian F-16 multi-role fighters bombed several combat vehicles near the Syrian border.

  F-16, Mafraq province, Syrian drone shot down after entering Jordanian air space, Zaatari refugee camp