Jordanian border guards kill 5 people near Tanf

Jordanian border guards killed five people who were approaching its frontier near Tanf, a Syrian desert town where US special forces training rebels are based.

The town has been a flashpoint in recent weeks as militias backed by Iran have tried to get near the US garrison, prompting US coalition jets to strike back.

Tanf lies near the strategic Damascus-Baghdad highway that was once a major weapons supply route for Iranian weapons into Syria.

The Jordanian army said on Sunday it destroyed a car and two motorbikes in the incident.

The army statement did not give any details of the identity of the men and whether they were smugglers or militants in the area, where Jordan's northeastern borders meet both Iraq and Syria.

The statement, however, said that before the shooting, a convoy of nine cars had approached from the Tanf area but fled after the army fired warning shots.

Islamic State group militants launched a suicide attack last April on the heavily defended base, an incident in which the Pentagon said an estimated 20-30 IS militants were involved. US jets bombed the militants in the attack.