Jordan arrests 8 Syrian refugees suspected of inciting camp riots in troubled camp

AMMAN, Jordan – A Jordanian security official says eight Syrians have been arrested on suspicion of inciting riots at a refugee camp near the Jordan-Syria border.

On Friday, 100 Syrian refugees threw stones at police for preventing some of them of sneaking out of their desert camp. Ten police officers were wounded, including two who remain in critical condition.

The security official, who requested anonymity in line with regulations, said a military prosecutor will question the eight suspects later Sunday.

If convicted, they face up to three years in jail.

The Zaatari camp houses 150,000 refugees from the Syrian civil war. Another 350,000 Syrians have found shelter in Jordanian communities.

Conditions in the overcrowded camp have worsened since it opened last July, and there have been several riots.