Ammon News - By Banan Malkawi from ‘Ammon News’ Arabic

AMMONNEWS - Two people were killed in clashes between two families Friday afternoon in the town of Burma in Jerash Governorate. Security forces have intensified their presence in the area in preparation for the funeral processions to be held Saturday afternoon and in an effort to prevent any possible escalation in the incident.

A one-week security truce (Atweh) was submitted by members of the Alawneh and Ghadayreh tribes to the Jerash Deputy Governor Hisham Al Sheimat in Burma Friday night in an effort to maintain calm in the town until a tribal 'Atweh' is given.

A tribal 'Atweh' is a truce given in tribal code systems where a contract is signed to maintain calm between disputing parties for a given period of time until final reconciliation agreement).

A source close to the one of the tribes who preferred not to publish his name said that the father of one of the victims, Louay Al Ghadayreh, is an uncle to the perpetrator who killed the second victim, Sammour Al Alawneh. The father had called on members of both families, who are related, to "remain calm, maintain peace, accept the will of God, respect the sanctity of human life, preserve neighbors' rights, and leave the fate of the killers to the justice system."

Jerash Police Chief, Brigadier General Nayef Btoush, told 'Ammon News' that the security 'Atweh' was signed Friday night, facilitating for both families to hold the funeral ceremonies for their deceased sons.

Btoush noted that Gendarmerie and Public Security forces are on high alert in the area, adding that authorities intensified the presence of Emergency Police patrols, Preventative Security, Criminal Investigation, and Traffic Police patrols throughout the area to maintain calm and prevent any possible escalation into the incident.

Btoush vowed that security authorities will find and arrest those involved in the incident, and added that the person who killed "Louay Al Ghadayreh," turned himself to the authorities. The perpetrator 'Muhammad Al Alawneh' is the older brother of the other victim 'Sammour Al Alawneh.'

In details of yesterday's incident, eyewitnesses told 'Ammon News' that one of the men involved in the fight struck the victim "Sammour S. Al Alawneh." in the head several times causing his death. The victim's brother then fired several gunshots from a firearm towards the other party involved in the fight.

Over 10 people were injured in the incident and were rushed to the state-run Jerash Hospital on Friday. One of the men "Louay Nawaf Abd Al Ghadayreh" injured by gunshots fired by the victim's brother, later died of his wounds in the hospital after a bullet penetrated and rested in his heart.

Two others remained in a critical condition.

Regarding the cause of the fight, informed sources told 'Ammon News' that those involved in the fight are neighbors living in adjacent homes. A while ago, the victim "Sammour S. S." unloaded sand near the house of the neighbors, ‘Al Ghadayreh,’ causing a dispute between the two families.

A close source said that the incident escalated when one of the neighbors pulled a gun and fired at the other party, causing them to retaliate and exchange gunshots. The gunshot exchange led to the death of two individuals, and the injury of 10 people.

The mother of the first victim, Louay, is from Al Alawneh tribe, and both victims and perpetrators in the fight are related.