Palestinian leader expresses condolences to King over fallen officer

AMMAN — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday expressed his condolences to His Majesty King Abdullah over the death of Major Rashed Zyoud.

In a telephone call, Abbas offered his sympathies to all Jordanians over the passing of Zyoud, who was killed in the line of duty.

Zyoud’s death, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said, has become a unifying factor for Jordanians, bringing them all together and increasing their solidarity.

Offering his condolences on Friday to the family of Zyoud, whose son was killed last Tuesday during a raid against “Daesh-affiliated outlaws” in Irbid, Ensour said martyrs make history and build nations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Jordanians’ unity during hard times and their solidarity with their leadership has won respect and admiration all over the world, the premier added during a visit to the condolences house, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat and State Minister Salameh Neimat.

The Irbid operation, which started on Tuesday evening and continued into the early hours of Wednesday, led to the death of seven people identified by the authorities as “Daesh-affiliated”.

The fallen officer’s father, Maj. Gen. Hussein Zyoud said Rashed is “the son of all Jordanians”.

Also on Friday, Ensour received a telephone call from his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah, who expressed his condolences over the passing of Zyoud. 

Hamdallah stressed that the Palestinian people stand by their Jordanian brothers and sisters in the face of terrorism and extremism, Petra said.