Jordan tightens security along Syrian border

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s king said security along the country’s northern frontier had been tightened, but Syrian refugees fleeing violence would still be allowed to enter.

Abdullah II said at a Cabinet session late Sunday that government plans to protect the border were “moving in the right direction,” a Royal Court statement said, without providing details.

Government spokesman Sameeh Maaytah said the northern region was secured against “any infiltrations.”

Jordan hosts more than 140,000 Syrian refugees. It has been concerned about Syria’s civil war spilling across the border.

Its first refugee camp for Syrians coming from the north could be opened this week as numbers spike, UN refugee agency officials said.

Washington signed an agreement Sunday to give Jordan an additional $100 million to help bear the refugee burden.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.