Tribal fight over ‘parking’ sees one killed, 12 arrested, families evicted

AMMAN — Violence between two tribes in an Irbid town on Sunday has left one man dead, four injured and twelve arrested, while seven families have reportedly been evicted from their homes, according to official sources.

The initial flashpoint on Sunday reportedly involved a fight between two neighbours in the town of Sarih, in Irbid Governorate, 80km north of Amman.  The families of both men became involved and the violence escalated to include attacks on a hospital and private property, Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“Dozens of people were involved in the brawl, in which wooden sticks and rocks were used, resulting in four injuries,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

A second source said the cause of the brawl was an argument between the two families over vehicle parking.

The four injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the second source said, adding that “some individuals who were involved in the brawl followed them, attacked the hospital and an exchange of live ammunition occurred”.

“One person, who was checking on his injured relatives, was hit in the stomach by a bullet fired from a pump-action rifle and died shortly afterwards,” the second source maintained.

The person who allegedly fired the bullet was known to the police, and the weapon was confiscated and sent to the criminal lab for a ballistic match, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The four who were injured during the fight remained in hospital in good condition, a medical source told The Jordan Times.

The dead man was identified by relatives as Quteibah Shiab, 45, an engineer who held a Phd degree. 

Following the killing, “unknown individuals allegedly attacked some property in the town in retaliation”, the second source added.

Gendarmerie forces were called in to the town late on Sunday night and calm was restored, while  the hospital was placed under guard by security forces, according to Sartawi.

Twelve people have reportedly been arrested following the violence, and seven families who were allegedly involved in the incident were evicted from the town, based on tribal laws, a source told The Jordan Times