67 killed, 300 injured in explosions in Jordan, al-Qaida not ruled out

The Jordanian government accused the leader of al-Qaida organization in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi of being the main suspect in the three explosions which shook three hotels in the capital Amman on Wednesday.

The Jordanian deputy prime minister Marwan al-Muaashar said in a televised statement that al-Qaida and al-Zarqawi are deliberately involved in the missile attacks in Aqaba several months ago. "As you know I believe that he is the main suspect in this case but I can not say that this has been confirmed." So far no side claimed responsibility for the explosions.

The three explosions took place in three various hotels in the Jordanian capital Amman and resulted in killing 67 persons and injuring 300 others.

The three explosions targeted "Grand Hayat," " Radisson," in addition to Days Inn hotel" which is situated in al-Rabeya quarters near the Israeli embassy. The three explosions took place consequently at 7 p.m. ( GMT), (9 p.m. Jordan local time).

Muaasher said that two suicide bombers detonated themselves in the two Grand al-Hayat and Radisson Sass while one booby trapped car went off in Days Inn. The Jordanian official explained that the majority of the victims were in Radisson Sass hotel because the suicide bomber detonated himself during an ongoing wedding ceremony.

Meantime, AFP quoted Jordanian security sources as saying that the suicide bomber who detonated himself had an "Iraqi dialect," according to the testimony of one of the hotel's employees.

The sources stressed that the suicide bomber appear clearly in the video tape pictures of the cameras in al-Hayat grand hotel and his identity has been verified.