Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - An explosion took place Thursday evening near a car carrying Israeli diplomats in Jordan, without causing injuries.
The incident occurred on the Na'our-Dead Sea road close to the King Hussein Bridge that links Jordan and the Israeli occupied Palestinian West Bank, also called Allenby Bridge in Israel.
Sources told 'Ammon News' that the failed attack was carried out by two two bombs planted on the right side of the road leading to the bridge as the Israeli convoy was en route.
The explosions did not cause any injuries or damages to the convoy, sources added, because of "poorly timed detonation."
Sources told 'Ammon News' note that former Israeli ambassador in Amman, Yaakov Rosen, was reportedly in one of the vehicles.
News agencies reported that the blast targeted the current Israeli ambassador to Jordan, Dani Nevo, but Israeli sources said that the ambassador wasn't among the diplomats in the vehicle.
Another vehicle carrying Israeli guards also with the diplomatic convoy escaped the explosion. The convoy included four officials working at the Israeli embassy in Amman and two security guards.
Haaretz reported early Friday that the vehicles were transporting two Israeli diplomats, two Israeli security officers and two Jordanians. Israel's ambassador to Jordan, Daniel Nevo, was not in either of the vehicles at the time, Haaretz said.
Jordanian authorities have not confirmed whether Jordanians were among those in the convoy.
Jordanian security forces had blockaded the site of the blast amidst heavy security presence in the area.
Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and government spokesman, Dr. Nabil Sharif, said that the blast occurred near Al Adassiyyah area, where one bomb had exploded.
Israeli media sources had noted Thursday that two bombs had exploded.
Sharif said in statements to Ammon News that the investigation is ongoing and details will be announced as the investigation is concluded, refusing to point fingers or place responsibility on any particular group.
''We cannot point blame at anyone before the investigation is concluded," Sharif added.
Sharif did not identify which diplomats were in the convoy, noting that "the Israeli side will decide that."
Sharif did not say what kind of explosives had been used, but a source close to the investigation told 'Ammon News' that "the blast left a crater 10 centimetres deep and 80 centimetres wide".
Jordanian troops arrived at the site of the attack immediately after the blast, and authorities have launched an investigation, he added.
It is noted that Thursday evenings witnesses heavy traffic, and Israeli diplomats often travel to Israel for the weekend.
The blast had targeted two vehicles belonging to the Israeli embassy on a the Naour-Dead Sea road. Other civilian vehicles were also on the road, Sharif added.
It is yet unknown what kind of explosives or bomb was used as yet.
Haaretz reported on its website that no injuries were reported from the explosion, which it described as a "an anticipated terrorist attack."
Israeli Ynet News said on its website Thursday that "It is suspected that the incident was planned in advance by elements familiar with the embassy's routine work procedures."
"We are checking and not commenting for now," a spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry said.
Israeli media reported that Jordanian forces accompanied the Israeli diplomats to a nearby military base after the incident and later escorted them to the Israeli border, following initial assistance and a brief questioning session. The Israeli convoy continued its route into Israel.
Israeli security officials expect that the incident targeting its diplomats was in response to the assassination of Emad Maghniyah back in 2008 in a car bomb in Damascus.
Danny Nevo, who took post as Israeli Ambassador to Jordan in November 2009, is the fourth Israeli envoy to Jordan since the Wadi Araba peace agreement in 1994.
Jordan has rarely witnessed attacks against Israelis in the past years, but the last of which was in 2003 when a Jordanian driver crossed the border between Jordan and Israel near the Red Sea coast and opened fire on a group of foreigns before being gunned down by Israeli soldiers.
One foreigner was killed and five others injured.
in January 2005, four Jordanians were arrested after being suspected of planning attacks against Israeli tourists.
Israeli analysts note that there's close cooperation between Jordan and Israel in the security field, adding that Jordan has foiled several plans that had targeted Israelis in Jordan.
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