Jordan says it has arrested 16 people, thwarting a plot that threatened national security and that involved manufacturing and importing rockets illegally, explosives and a drone production site.

In a statement on Tuesday, the General Intelligence Department said it uncovered plans to recruit and train “operatives” in Jordan and neighboring Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported.

A drone factory was also found, according to the statement that was released on state media.

The suspects were referred to the state security court for trial, it added.

Authorities later said at least one rocket was ready to be launched as part of an operation that had been under surveillance by security forces since 2021.

A security source cited by the Reuters news agency said the suspects were connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s largest opposition group, while the head of the cell who trained some of its members was based in Lebanon.