Police step up security following death of officer

AMMAN — The Public Security Directorate (PSD) on Saturday announced that it had beefed up its security presence in the Kingdom’s governorates to ensure the safety of the citizens and the enforcement of the law.

The PSD’s step is aimed to ensure the security and safety of citizens and their free and safe mobility along the Kingdom’s roads, Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“We will confront anyone who attempts to attack public and private property, and we will deal accordingly within the provisions of the law with vandals,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

Earlier in the day, the PSD announced the arrest of 44 people who reportedly took parts in riots in various parts of the Kingdom which resulted in the death of a police officer and the injury of 49 others.

Colonel Abdelrazzaq Dalabeeh was shot in the head during riots in Maan Governorate at dawn on Friday.

The colonel, who was deputy director for the Maan Police Directorate, was killed while dealing with rioters in the Al Husseinieh area of Maan, the PSD spokesperson said.

His Majesty King Abdullah has directed all relevant security forces to identify and arrest the perpetrator who killed Col. Dalabeeh during riots in Maan Governorate, Interior Minister Mazen Faraya said on Friday.

During a press conference on Friday at the Interior Ministry, Faraya said that the government has been handling the situation “wisely and with accountability” since the beginning of the protests, and has held a number of consultative meetings to discuss the demands of truck owners.

He noted that those demands have been addressed, stressing that the strike resulted in a suspension of supplies in a number of vital facilities, a matter that the government will not allow to continue.

The hardest decision that the government had to make is to increase the prices of fuel derivatives, he said, adding that lowering the prices will cause the Kingdom financial consequences that will be difficult to handle.

He added that the strikes and protests harm the lives of citizens, and result in damages to health and property as well as the loss of life. 

The government is committed to respecting the peaceful freedom of expression, as it is a right granted by law and the Constitution, he noted. 

Also speaking at the press conference, Public Security Directorate (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Maaytah said that “the protests deviated from the peaceful path”, and they have now become an attack on public property and streets.

Obaidallah announced that a total of 70 PSD vehicles and over 90 private vehicles were attacked during the riots.

King Abdullah and HRH Prince Hassan on Friday extended condolences to the family of the martyr Col. Abdulrazzaq Dalabeeh.

King Abdullah reaffirmed that violence against the state, vandalism of public property, and violating Jordanians’ rights will be dealt with firmly, stressing that assaults and acts of vandalism are dangerous threats to national security that will not be tolerated.

His Majesty expressed his deepest sympathies and condolences to Dalabeeh’s family, describing him as the son of all Jordanians and adding, “We will not rest until the criminal is brought to justice.”