‘Terrorists — disguised as women — are among displaced Syrians’

AMMAN — There are hundreds of armed men disguised as women with fake IDs among the Syrians displaced in the border area near Jordan as a result of the ongoing bombardment campaign on Syria’s Daraa province, an army senior officer said on Monday.

Director of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army  (JAF) Morale Guidance Department Lt. Col. Oudeh Shdeifat said that the army is “fully aware of these armed men and is dealing with the situation with complete professionalism”.

In remarks to The Jordan Times on Monday, Shdeifat added that these armed men belong neither to the Syrian government nor  to the opposition but “to terrorist groups which have been expelled from their strongholds, including the Daesh terror group”.

“There are some parties exploiting the displaced Syrians to serve ‘evil’ agenda. The army is vigilant and ready to deal with.”

 Shdeifat said that the JAF is “firmly” sealing off the borders with Syria in implementation of a sovereign decision, adding that no refugees will be allowed to enter Jordan “except for some critical cases, only for medical treatment”.

“After completing their treatment in Jordan, these Syrian patients are sent back to their country,” he said.

Shdeifat also said that the army has set up a 20-bed field hospital on the borders with Syria to treat injured people and three first-aid units while six ambulances will be added to the five already existing ones, all adequately equipped.

“Around 20 injured Syrians among those displaced in the border areas have been referred to the King Abdullah University Hospital in Ramtha during the past 48 hours. Some of them have been treated and returned,” Shdeifat said.

Shdeifat also said that Jordanians were still gathering donations to be sent to the displaced neighbours, adding that a total of 26 trucks laden with food, water, medicine and blankets were dispatched by the army to those across the border through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation.

UNHCR spokesman in Amman Mohammad Hawari was quoted by AFP on Monday as saying that the number of displaced in southern Syria exceeded 270,000 people, as a result of the government’s offensive on rebel-held parts of Daraa province.