WASHINGTON, April 6: Jordanian authorities last week thwarted a plan by members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network to attack the US embassy in Amman, the State Department said Tuesday.

Spokesman Adam Ereli said the plot had been uncovered after the arrests of members of a terrorist cell reportedly linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who were also allegedly planning to attack Jordanian government facilities.

"The Jordanians captured some individuals who they believe were affiliated with the Zarqawi al-Qaeda network," he told reporters. "As a result of their investigation, they discovered that among the targets these individuals were looking at was the American embassy," Ereli said, noting that the Jordanian investigation was continuing.

A senior State Department official said Washington was taking the threat "very seriously" given the nature of the detained suspects. "These are really bad guys," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, another State Department official had told AFP that the plot was "a reminder that al-Qaeda continues to prepare to strike US interests abroad." On Monday, the US embassy in Amman issued a notice to Americans in Jordan advising them of the threat and urging them to stay abreast of developments related to the security situation. -AFP