Published: Just now
Three police officers have been killed in a firefight in southern Jordan.
The police were part of a raid against people suspected of being involved in the shooting death of a deputy chief of police in the country last week. One of the suspects was also shot dead, according to the Jordanian authorities.
The raid and shootout took place near the town of Maan, where last week’s fatal shooting took place. One of the suspects opened fire with an automatic weapon, whereupon the officers returned fire, according to the authorities’ picture of the course of events.
Nine people were then arrested and weapons and ammunition were seized.
The violence comes against a backdrop of unusually large-scale protests in the kingdom, which has long been a relatively stable exception in the restive Middle East. Truck drivers began protesting against skyrocketing fuel prices and expressions of discontent spread to several cities. Protesters have clashed with police in several places.