Five people have been killed following an attack on a security office at a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan.

The incident - which took place at the Baqaa camp around 20km from the capital Amman - has been described as a 'terrorist attack' by Jordanian authorities.

Three Jordanian intelligence officers, a receptionist and a guard were killed in the attack, The Guardian reports.

The attackers are believed to have targeted the General Intelligence Department.

The incident happened on the first morning of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.

The Baqaa camp is the country's largest and is said to house more than 70,000 refugees, according to Reuters.