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On Friday, “outlaws” threw several petrol bombs at government buildings in the southern city Ma’an. The violence in the city this week has led to the death of one person and wounded five policemen, according to security sources.
The violence began on Sunday, when gunmen fired at policemen guarding a courthouse in the night, seriously wounding one of them. It is not clear on what provoked the shooting.
Security forces have opened an investigation into the situation and have launched a massive manhunt for the gunmen, thereby triggering riots in the city, the source said. During a security operation on Tuesday, a 20-year-old man was killed in the skirmish with policeman outside his house, witnesses said. The next day, angry residents reportedly blocked the roads leading to their houses and torched down a tax office and three banks, and gunmen shot at policemen and government buildings.
The violence did not help the policemen in the situation on Thursday, with the “outlaws” shooting at them from rooftops and the roads in the city center blocked off with burning tires. The source added that the police responded by throwing tear gas shells at the crowds and the “outlaws”.
Earlier on Friday, a different group of assailants were on the streets, throwing “petrol bombs at government buildings”. The fire from the resultant explosion broke out into two neighbouring offices, the source said. “Fire-fighters were unable to respond because the outlaws had blocked off the roads”, the source said. On Thursday, Interior Minister Hussein al-Majali had told the cabinet that five policemen were wounded since the violence began.
Ma’an has had a rebellious and bloody past since the turn of the century, when it was the epicentre of the Great Arab Revolt which crushed the Ottoman rule. Last June, thirteen men were arrested on charges of carrying out “terrorist” acts for their supposed role in riots in the city regarding a double murder. In April 2013, a confrontation between students at Ma’an’s King Hussein bin Talal University left 4 dead and 25 wounded.
