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Jordanian police officer killed, six others injured in explosion near Amman

Saturday, 11 August 2018 5:21 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 11 August 2018 5:24 PM ]

This picture shows the aftermath of an explosion in the Christian-majority town of al-Fuheis, located just 20 kilometers northwest of Amman, Jordan, on August 10, 2018. (Photo via Twitter)

A member of Jordan's security forces has lost his life and six others sustained injuries when an explosion struck a patrol van at a music festival near the capital Amman.

The Jordanian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that the blast hit a security patrol in the Christian-majority town of al-Fuheis, located 20 kilometers northwest of Amman, on Friday evening.

“It killed Sergeant Ali Adnan Qawqaza and wounded six other members of the patrol,” the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway into the cause of the blast.

“This cowardly act will only increase the determination to do our job to protect people,” the ministry noted.

Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz pledged that Jordan would “not be complacent in the hunt for terrorists.”

“Jordan will always be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and obscurantist ideas, which target the lives of innocents and try to undermine security and stability,” the official Petra news agency quoted him as saying.

Jordanian police later said investigations showed a home-made explosive device planted near the police car was behind the blast.

Security forces had been deployed to protect the town's annual cultural festival. Fuheis Festival is considered the second largest festival in the country after Jerash Festival.

Tunisian singer Sabir al-Robaei, who was performing at a concert during the festival, expressed his regret over the death of the Jordanian sergeant, saying he was informed during the event. A minute of silence was held by the audience for the sergeant.

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