Main suspect in police killing shot dead in Maan raid — PSD

AMMAN — Police on Tuesday said that the main suspect in the killing of Second Lieutenant Nart Nafesh in August 2014 was killed during a dawn raid on his house in Maan.

Two other wanted suspects and four gendarmerie officers were injured during the raid, which witnessed an exchange of fire, according to a statement from the Public Security Department (PSD).

“The suspects resisted arrest and fired at the force with machine guns and threw hand grenades,” the PSD said.

The statement added that the injured officers were listed in fair condition. 

Three people have already been convicted and sentenced for Nafesh’s murder.

In February, the State Security Court (SSC) sentenced two men to death and a third suspect to life in prison for murdering Nafesh, who was patrolling a street in the governorate.

The SSC also acquitted a defendant for lack of evidence and referred a minor to a juvenile court.

Maan Mayor Majed Sharari told The Jordan Times on Tuesday that the suspect killed in Tuesday’s raid was an 18-year-old also wanted for allegedly shooting and killing Awad Abu Hilaleh, a Maan tribal leader, in mid-July.

Abu Hilaleh had reportedly “handed over several suspects in connection with the death of Nafesh”, the mayor said.

A community leader in Maan, Abu Hilaleh was shot by unidentified suspects in mid-July and succumbed to his wounds a week later, according to Sharari.

“The suspects were sentenced to death and the young man, who is their relative, was suspected of shooting Abu Hilaleh,” the Maan mayor explained.

Sharari denounced “the unfortunate incidents that occurred” on Tuesday during the raid.

“We are against violence from any party and I really hoped that the raid would not end in death because it would have been more important to know if the dead suspect had accomplices and to learn more about his role in Abu Hilaleh’s death,” Sharari added.