Authorities in Jordan have arrested 11 people suspected of planning attacks attacks on Western diplomats and shopping centres in the capital.
Government spokesman Samih Maayta said the suspects were arrested in the past few days and were in police custody.
Mr Maayta said the men had brought in weapons from neighbouring Syria, and al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq had helped them manufacture home-made explosives.
The plot was said to have been in preparation since June this year.
Jordanian intelligence were monitoring the plotters, including their experiments with explosives, a senior official told the BBC.
The official said: "this was an al-Qaeda plot timed for the anniversary of the 9 November attacks on Amman in 2005".
The plotters "had planned to bring TNT explosives and mortar shells from Syria", state news agency Petra said.
The targets included "shopping centres, residential areas, diplomats and foreign nationals".
Jordan borders Syria and is home at least 200,000 Syrians who have fled the conflict which began in March 2011 - more than any other country in the region.
