19 December,2016 09:31 AM IST | | Agencies
A Canadian woman was killed in a shootout between the police and armed men who had holed themselves up in a medieval castle in southern Jordan yesterday
Amman: A Canadian woman was killed in a shootout between the police and armed men who had holed themselves up in a medieval castle in southern Jordan yesterday.
A number of other tourists are still believed to be trapped inside the besieged fortress, with only 10 rescued so far, the police and security sources said.
Four policemen were killed when the gunmen went on a shooting spree in the mountainous city of Karak before taking refuge in its crusader-era castle, a police statement said. The gunmen continued to fire at the police from the castle, as special forces rushed to the scene from surrounding areas, a security source said.
Prime Minister Hani al Mulki told parliament "a number of security personnel" had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle. The police said gunmen shot at officers patrolling the city before entering the castle, perched on top of a hill. The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear.
Jordan is one of the few Arab states that have taken part in a the air campaign led by the United States against Islamic State militants holding territory in Syria. But many Jordanians are opposed to their country's involvement, saying it had killed fellow Muslims and raised security threats inside Jordan.
