Two charged with murder after tribal killing in Irbid

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Wednesday charged two men with murder in connection with the death of a man during a fight between two tribes in Irbid on Monday.

Quteibah Shiab, 45, an engineer, was shot and killed while at a hospital checking on people injured during a fight between two tribes in the town of Sarih, in Irbid Governorate, 80km north of Amman. 

“The prosecutor has concluded that two people were involved in the shooting that led to the death of Shiab,” a senior judicial source said.

Meanwhile, the two suspects reportedly confessed to “shooting at Shiab with pump-action rifles while at the hospital,” the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The criminal court prosecutor also charged 12 others with complicity in attempted murder, according to the source.

All 14 individuals remained detained by the prosecutor pending further investigations.

The initial flashpoint on Sunday reportedly involved a fight between two neighbours in a street in Sarih because of an argument over vehicle parking, official sources told The Jordan Times recently.

The families of both men became involved and the violence escalated to include attacks on a hospital and private property, in which wooden sticks, rocks and live ammunition were used, resulting in one death and four injuries.

The four injured were taken to a nearby hospital, and a group of men followed them and attacked the hospital, “killing Shiab, who went to check on the injured”, sources have said.  

Several properties were attacked by unknown individuals and Gendarmerie forces were called in to the town to contain the situation.

A resident of Sarih said the situation is still not totally calm because “there are still some people who are angry with what happened and the Gendarmerie remain a heavy presence in the town”.

“Some shops opened today, especially those belonging to residents who are not part of the families.  For the past two days it was a ghost town,” the resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Jordan Times.

The victim’s family has postponed Shiab’s burial, which had previously been scheduled for Wednesday, the resident added.