Three Jordanian police killed during raid on hideout in Maan

Three Jordanian police personnel were killed in a raid on the hideout of the suspected killers of a policeman in the southern city of Maan, a police statement said.

The Public Security Directorate said officers surrounded the location of several suspects on Monday. One of the suspects “fired heavy bullets from an automatic weapon,” and the officers returned fire, the statement said.

One of the suspects, believed to be a fighter, was killed in the exchange,

The statement added that officers arrested nine others and seized “automatic firearms and a large amount of ammunition.”

Authorities had been responding to the killing of a senior police officer that took place during clashes with demonstrators in Maan on Friday, amid protests over high fuel prices that have spread to several cities across Jordan.

The government vowed to take tough steps and redeploy more anti-riot police against people who protest violently against a squeeze in living conditions.

The World Bank has said Jordan is heavily in debt and faces approximately 23 percent unemployment.

Protesters, spearheaded by truck drivers, have vowed to remain steadfast until fuel prices come down.

The government has promised to examine truck strikers’ demands but said it has already paid more than 500 million dinars ($700m) to cap fuel prices this year and cannot do much more if it wants to avoid breaching an International Monetary Fund deal.

Police previously said over forty security personnel were wounded in the clashes where protesters smashed cars, burnt tyres and mounted road blocks to close a highway in some of the most widespread civil unrest in recent years.

The authorities said they arrested 44 people in connection with the unrest among over 200 suspects wanted by the authorities in connection with the troubles.

Energy costs have led to protests in Jordan before, including in 2018 when Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigned after several days of rallies against proposed tax reforms and energy price increases.