Jordanian Security forces foil attack on UK embassy
Jordan, International, 2/12/1998

Abid Azzam, 25, of al-Zarqa, Jordan, at 12.45 pm local time yesterday tried to attack the British embassy in Amman, Jordan.

A security source told reporters, "He was arrested outside of the embassy building before he could throw the 'Molotov bomb' he carried with him."

"The police guarding the building saw the young man beside the northern side of the building," he added. "The young man was walking slowly in front of the embassy building. He was carrying a strange thing in his hand," the policeman who arrested the armed man said, adding " I attacked him and arrested him before he could carry out his attack."

The young man has schizophrenia and was prevented from joining the army because of his illness, the security source said.

Answering a question on whether the attack was related to the current crisis between the Iraqi government and the UN, the source was reported as saying that there is no evidence to that effect.

British Foreign Ministry stated that the attack, "might be related to the current crisis between Iraqi government and the UN." The attack did not result in casualties or damages.

Jordanian Minister of Interior Nathir Rashid told reporters that all the foreign embassies in Jordan "are heavily guarded."

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