Scores of wounded, killed persons in Maan, Arabs arrested, the city is besieged
Jordan, Politics, 11/11/2002

Confrontations resumed between the city of Maan and the Jordanian authorities. The city lived its second day under a "siege" imposed by the security forces to arrest persons described by the authorities as "a gang."

In addition to the killing of three persons and scores of wounded, according to several persons, the clashes which took place in the southern city, which often witnesses protests concerning internal Jordanian issues, or concerning national issues like Palestine and Iraq; revealed that that what is taking place in Maan is beyond dealing with a "mere gang."

The siege, announced by the Jordanian authorities, besides acts of arrest which targeted more than 50 Islamists, and other Arab and foreigners, gave the city a scene of a "war against terrorism;" especially at a time when the security forces have received instructions to attack "hills area where several wanted gunmen seemed to have hide in."

Moreover, the large scale security attack against the city, 215 Km to the south of Amman, left the impression that the government has actually started the implementation of the slogan "Jordan first" recently advocated by the Jordanian King Abdullah to summarize his views concerning the Iraqi and Palestinian developments in the coming phase. A vision which necessitates at the current phase to show the "state's dignity and will."

Eye- witnesses said that the Jordanian special forces clashed with hundreds of gunmen in the largest security invasion of Maan in order to arrest Islamists, and this was after the end of a grace period given by the authorities to wanted persons who are hiding in the city to surrender themselves.

The witnesses said that violent clash took place at dawn between veiled gunmen and the police forces which launched raids against the city in the context of searching for Islamists which are said to have links to assassinating the American diplomat Laurence Folley.

The witnesses said that the most violent clash was in "Palestine street," the main trade street in the downtown of the city, and near a government's hospital.

The riot fighting forces backed by armored vehicles took their positions in the city; while armored vehicles which came from the capital arrived to support the army forces which cordon the city since Friday evening.

Eye witnesses and citizens said that the authorities cut telephone lines, the electricity and the mobile phones and that the city was subjected to an actual curfew as all government offices and schools were closed.

Tension increased in the city after Maan tribes refused the demands of the authorities to hand over 30 men wanted by the authorities. Tension started to escalate following the assassination of Laurence Folley, especially after wounding of the Islamists Muhammad Shalabi, known as Abu Sayyaf during fire exchange with the police. Shalabi fled under the protection of his supporters and is presumed to be hiding in the city, whose tribes are linked strongly to Saudi Arabia and many of its people have the double Saudi and Jordanian nationalities.

In addition to al-Shalabi, the authorities try to arrest Majdi Azzami and Omar Ghazi al- Baza Ye'a.

Sources said that five of the leading figures of "al-Takfir Wal Hijra " groups are in "Altour quarters." A hill situated in the outskirts of Maan and is besieged by the police forces. The group took of this area a main headquarters and stockpiled large amounts of various weapons in it.

Meantime, the Jordanian minister of information Muhammad al-Edwan said that "among the 20 persons arrested by the security forces in Maan, there are several non- Jordanian Arabs and foreigners," but he did not specify their nationalities. He indicated that the arrested Arabs had weapons.

For his part, the Jordanian minister of the interior Qaftan al-Majali said that the number of killed and wounded persons is not known "because the bodies of the killed and wounded have not reached the hospitals." In another context, the opposition Islamic Labor Front party called for ending the "siege" of Maan.

Previous Stories:
  Jordanians evacuated from the Philippines   (11/9/2002)
  Jordanian government warns trade unions from making the Jordanian street against the judiciary   (11/6/2002)
  Jordan: Arresting of one Islamists claimed responsibility for assassinating Folley   (11/6/2002)
  King Abdullah threatens to punish the killers of the US diplomat   (10/30/2002)
  Jordanian comprehensive change in military leadership, nine detainees of Maan incidents released   (3/8/2002)
  Investigations of the acts of riots in Maan   (1/23/2002)

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