Jordan blast leaves one sergeant dead, six injured

A vehicle belonging to the Jordanian gendarmerie was hit by an explosion on Friday evening, leaving one sergeant dead and wounding six other security personnel, an official at the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie has said.

The blast happened just outside the capital Amman, where the unit was tasked with guarding a cultural festival held in the western outskirt of the city.

Local news media quoted government sources denying the blast was linked to terrorism, however, investigations are continuing.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Mahmoud al-Shiab, the spokesperson for the Jordanian gendarmerie, said that, "a gendarmerie unit exploded outside the area of ​​the festival of Fuheis, and resulted in the death of Sergeant, and the injury of four gendarmeries and two officers".

While the security statement did not specify the cause of the explosion, local media quoted security sources as saying that "a gas bomb exploded near the fuel tank, causing the explosion of the vehicle".

The Fuheis festival is an annually held event in Jordan and is considered the second largest festival in the country after the 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 festival.

He added that, "life must continue despite the tragedies, and that we are a people that overcomes challenges."

A minute of silence was held by the audience for the sergeant.

Fuheis is a Christian-majority town, around 20km northwest of the capital Amman.

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