Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Lit. Gen. Misha'al al-Zabin, on Tuesday, revealed that the recent excavations in Ajloun were carried out to unearth spying equipment and naturalize explosives planted by Israel at the spot way back in 1969.

The army chief was speaking at a press conference along with the prime minister, the minister of interior and the government spokesperson to clarify to the public the reasons behind the digs which were rumored to be in search of historical treasures.

Al-Zabin said a large amount of explosives were connected to the spying equipment and that the impact of detonating so much explosive through conventional manners couldn't be estimated. Therefore, he added, the army demanded the Israeli side to come and diffuse these by themselves to guarantee the safety of the surrounding area and buildings. He pointed out that controlled explosions were carried out late at night without any damage." Explaining how the army was able to locate the spot where the spying equipment and explosives were planted, the chief of staff said a 2013 explosion on the Mafraq-Khalidiah road led the army to investigate the incident, and as a result the army immediately made ​​a complete survey of areas around the kingdom and found five sites where similar defunct espionage facilities had been buried.

He added that the Israeli side provided full information about these devices, their locations and the time when these were planted, besides the type and quantity of explosives. It also assured that there were no more similarly planted explosives.

He noted that the devices were planted at a depth of 1 to 2.5 meters and that the information provided by the Israeli side was totally compatible with the army's findings.

The army chief said he was dismayed by what had been rumored by media outlets and on social medial platforms that the excavations in the northern governorate were designed to dig up "treasures." He vowed that the army will go after rumor-mongers or anyone who would harm the nation's and the armed forces’ security.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said it's unusual for countries to reveal military data and secrets but the Ajloun issue was blown out of all proportion and there were rumors that a massive amount of "treasure" was unearthed from the site.

He said the issue required major and important contacts with Israel to reveal the locations of these equipment.

*Petra