One person killed, seven wounded, a curfew in Maan
Jordan, Politics, 11/25/2002

Clashes renewed yesterday in the southern Jordanian city of Maan in which the Jordanian authorities have reintroduced curfew following the killing of one persons and wounding other seven.

Eye- witnesses said that the confrontations erupted between several citizens and the security forces stationed in front of the headquarters of the city's municipality. The witnesses added that a state of disorder is prevailing the city, where security forces were strengthened after the incident. Immediately, curfew was imposed after two weeks following clashes that took place in the city and resulted to killing 6 persons including 4 civilians, one policeman and one soldier.

According to a security source, tension was intensified on Saturday evening when scores of youths gathered before the armored vehicles of the general security positioned outside the borders of the city and threw stones on them. The same scene was repeated after al-Taraweih ( after Iftar prayers in the last third of the month of Ramadan), and one security member was hit by a bullet fire, according to the official version of the story.

The security men chased with the gathered youths into the streets of the city where they were exposed to fire which they had reciprocated and this resulted in killing one civilian and wounding of two, while one policeman was wounded.

During the previous operation of the security forces which started on November 11, some 130 persons were arrested, including at least 8 foreigners, and on November 17 curfew was lifted from the city following one week of acts of riots.

The Jordanian authorities are still searching for the main Islamists accused person in this case, Muhammad al-Shalabo, known as Abu Sayyaf. Before yesterday's renewed clashes between the two sides, the Jordanian authorities interrogated the opposition figure Leith Shbeilat for the second time within less than 10 days and was summoned for investigation, in a step which the Jordanian minister of information Muhammad al-Edwan described as to warn him against statements and activities he has been making in which he criticized the government.

The governor of Amman, Abdul Karim al-Malahema, issued a decision in which he banned an organization to observe a sit in and hold prayers in the courtyard of the complex of the workers trade Union last Friday in solidarity with three trade union officials who oppose normalization with Israel, detained since October.

On October 8, the Jordanian authorities arrested three trade unionists after accusing them of " subscribing to an illegal society " in remarks to Israel's anti normalization committee. The three arrested men are Ali Abu Sukkar, Maysara malas and Badi al-Rafeya'.

On the other hand, a Jordanian official source aid that a mortar bomb went off yesterday on the roof of the branch of the Arab Bank to the West of Amman. No casualties were reported.

Previous Stories:
  Washington intends to withdraw some of its diplomats in Jordan   (11/23/2002)
  Maan citizens accuse Jordanian government of launching a revenge war   (11/23/2002)
  Jordan: banning of sit in, a meeting   (11/23/2002)

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