Jordan gets German military vehicles for border control

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, right, and Jordanian Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff Mahmoud Freihat, center, attend a ceremony handing over equipment to Jordan, at Marka airport, Amman, Jordan, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. Germany’s defense minister handed over handed over 70 Mercedes trucks, 56 Mercedes mini vans and two training aircraft worth a total of $22 million to the Jordanian military during a visit to the kingdom. (John MacDougall/Pool Photo via AP)

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 Daesh extremists held large areas until being pushed back in recent months by a US-led military campaign. Jordan is a key ally in the battle against Daesh.
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.
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.