06 April,2010 12:13 PM IST | | Agencies
April Fool article claiming a UFO landing by 10 feet tall aliens causes panic in a Jordan town and troops are sent to look for them
The Al Ghad newspaper published the article that spoke of a UFO landing near the desert town of Jafr, The Telegraph reported.
The front-page newspaper article stated that the aliens lit up the town, interrupted communications and sent scared residents into the streets.
Mohammed Mleihan, the mayor of Jafr, was taken in by the prank and promptly despatched security personnel to hunt for aliens.
"Students didn't go to school, their parents were frightened and I almost evacuated the town's 13,000 residents. People were scared that aliens would attack them," Mleihan was quoted as saying.
A Jordanian security official said an emergency plan was almost enacted in Jafr.
Moussa Barhoumeh, Al Ghad's managing editor, said the report has been "blown out of proportion."
"We meant to entertain, not scare people."
