Political analysts warn of exploitative groups as nation mourns fallen officers

AMMAN — Tributes poured in on social media platforms as Jordanians lamented and condemned the killing of three PSD officers on Monday, an incident which political experts described as a “terrorist attack” on Jordan. 

“The bloodshed of our security forces is absolutely outrageous. This is a sad day for all Jordanians,” Twitter user Ahmad Maaytah wrote. 

According to the Public Security Directorate (PSD), the officers were killed during a raid carried out to capture a suspect involved in the killing of Brig. Gen. Abdulrazzaq Dalabeeh in the Al Husseinieh region of Maan. 

The PSD announced that the suspect, who embraces the takfiri ideology, was killed and eight others were captured.

A number of peaceful strikes, marches and sit-ins have taken place in various areas across the Kingdom over the past 15 days, mainly demanding the government to lower fuel prices. 

After riots carried out by vandals and outlaws in Maan led to the killing of Dalabeeh on Friday, the PSD strengthened its public presence to ensure the safety of citizens and prevent further similar attacks. 

In an interview with The Jordan Times, Senate member Mohammad Momani described the incident as “a heinous crime carried out by outlaws who took advantage of the current national situation in an attempt to destabilise the security of our beloved Jordan”.

“It deeply hurts all Jordanians to see men in uniform targeted in such an ugly manner,” he said, adding that “Jordan will remain steadfast in the face of these terrorist acts”. 

Moreover, Momani pointed out that demonstrations in which citizens peacefully voice their demands and bring attention to their hardships are “lawful and absolutely consistent with Jordanian political dynamics”.

However, some incite violence or provoke tensions with the aim of creating chaos in order to carry out terrorist acts, he said. 

Therefore, it is necessary to tackle the situation through proper law enforcement measures, direct political engagement with the people and strategic plans to address economic issues, Momani added. 

“Economic instability is an eminent threat that must be deal with,” he said. 

Mohammad Al Tal, a Jordanian writer and political analyst, said that terrorists take advantage of any time of vulnerability to enact their violence and destabilise a country’s security. 

“This is a difficult time that demands all Jordanians to stick together as they always do in order to allow Jordan, which has given many martyrs in its fight against terrorism, to pull through this ordeal,” he told The Jordan Times.

Former media affairs minister Samih Maaytah also pointed out that this “terrorist attack”is taking advantage of Jordanians’peaceful expression of their demands, a right that is guaranteed by law. 

It is important to enhance channels of communication and dialogue between the people and their government in order to arrive at a solution and “ensure that this crisis doesn’t allow such terrorist groups to advance their malicious interests and objectives”, he told The Jordan Times.