Israeli sources report that a group of Iraqi intelligence officers (or commandoes, the reports vary) tried to slip through Jordan during late July in several parties. One group of about 20 reportedly reached a safe house in Amman and may have eluded capture. One group with a mortar was reportedly apprehended. One team apparently made it across the border into Israel, but had been under surveillance and was quickly rounded up. Another, larger, group is reportedly holed up in Wadi Athner, and another group is holed up near Ruwayshid. Israeli sources report that the groups were detected by Israeli intelligence, which tipped off the Jordanians. The Jordanians then intercepted and encircled the two groups in the Western desert. There are reports that some Israelis have entered Jordan to cooperate with Jordanian intelligence. The US and Israel have officially denied any knowledge of this incident, dismissing it as disinformation or a media fantasy.--Stephen V Cole