After Numerous Foiled Plots, Terrorists Have their Way in Amman, Jordan Attacks

At least 60 are dead and over 150 injured following near-simultaneous suicide bombings at three international hotels in Amman.

The explosions occurred around 9 p.m. at the five-star Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS, and Days Inn hotels in the commercial Jebel Amman district. The hotels are popular with American, European and Israeli businessmen and diplomats and had been the target of foiled terrorist plots in the past.

Jordanian police spokesman Captain Bashir al-Da’jeh told Al Jazeera television: “At 9 this evening, there were three terrorist explosions in three hotels in Amman. There are a number of dead and wounded. They are believed to have been carried out by suicide bombers.”

Photos from Yahoo.

Jordanian authorities thwarted an al-Zarqawi / Abu Zubaydah organized plot to bomb the Radisson SAS in Amman during the 1999 millennium celebrations (part of a dual operation that planned to bomb Los Angeles International Airport on the same night). Four Iraqis were arrested in 2003 for trying to blow up hotels on the same Amman strip.

In July, five Jordanians were indicted on conspiracy charges for planning to attack intelligence agents, tourists and hotels in Amman. Al-Zarqawi has not been linked to this alleged plot.

This is the third major terrorist attack by Islamic militants since the summer. Islamic militants living in the UK killed 56 with suicide bombs in the 7/7 London Underground terror attack. Jemaah Islamiya has claimed responsibility for The October 1, 2005 Bali suicide bombing that killed 27.