Jordanian fighter jets have destroyed a number of combat vehicles trying to cross into the kingdom from neighboouring Syria, according to the army.

A Syrian military source told state television in Damascus, however, that the vehicles that were struck on Wednesday did not belong to Syria's armed forces.

The attack was the first time Jordan has used fighter jets to deal with such infiltrations.

"Royal air force jet fighters today destroyed a number of vehicles that attempted to cross into Jordan from Syria," the Jordanian army said in a statement.

"The camouflaged vehicles tried to enter from an area with rugged terrain.

"The fighter jets fired warning shots, but they were ignored, prompting them to destroy the vehicles. The army will not tolerate such actions."

The statement did not say how many vehicles were in the convoy, nor did it offer casualty figures, the AP news agency reported. It also did not specify whether the vehicles were targeted on Syrian or Jordanian soil.

A military official told the AFP news agency in Amman that three vehicles, which were wheeled, tried to enter the kingdom near Ruwaished, in northern Jordan.

Photographs released through AP did not appear to include camouflaged vehicles.

A Syrian military statement said: "No military or armoured vehicles belonging to the Syrian army moved towards the Jordanian border, and so what was targeted by the Jordanian air force does not belong to the Syrian army."

Jordan's border guards in recent weeks clashed with and arrested several people as they attempted to cross from Syria into the kingdom.

The kingdom has struggled to cope with hosting more than 500,000 Syrian refugees uprooted by the conflict.

King Abdullah II has vowed to protect Jordan from the Syrian war. Jordan hosts a US military force, including F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missile interceptors.