German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, right, and Jordanian General Mahmoud Freihat stand next to an exercise plane at Marka airport, Amman, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, prior to a handing over ceremony at. The package handed over included Mercedes-Benz Zetro off-road trucks, Mercedes Sprinter vans and GROB G 120TP training aircraft.
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, right, and Jordanian General Mahmoud Freihat stand next to an exercise plane at Marka airport, Amman, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, prior to a handing over ceremony at. The package handed over included Mercedes-Benz Zetro off-road trucks, Mercedes Sprinter vans and GROB G 120TP training aircraft. Pool Photo via AP Michael Kappeler
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, right, and Jordanian General Mahmoud Freihat stand next to an exercise plane at Marka airport, Amman, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, prior to a handing over ceremony at. The package handed over included Mercedes-Benz Zetro off-road trucks, Mercedes Sprinter vans and GROB G 120TP training aircraft. Pool Photo via AP Michael Kappeler

World

Jordan gets German military vehicles for border control

The Associated Press

January 14, 2018 06:33 AM

AMMAN, Jordan

Germany's defense minister says her country is delivering millions of dollars' worth of equipment to Jordan's military to improve the kingdom's border surveillance.

Jordan borders Syria and Iraq, where Islamic State extremists held large areas until being pushed back in recent months by a U.S.-led military campaign. Jordan is a key ally in the battle against IS.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen attended a handover ceremony near Jordan's capital, Amman, on Sunday.

Germany is providing two training planes and dozens of military support vehicles to Jordan, worth a total of $22 million.

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Von der Leyen says the equipment is meant to "improve mobility at the border," as part of a plan to support Jordan.

She praised Jordan as an anchor of stability in a violence-wracked region.

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