Jordanian security forces kill 3, including 2 escaped prisoners, in gun battle

AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanian security forces killed three men, including two escaped inmates, in a shootout in a remote part of the country, authorities say.

The Public Security Directorate says that the two prisoners had recently fled from jail, prompting a search that ended with the gun battle. The third man killed had alleged ties to a militant group and was wanted in connection with unspecified crimes, the directorate says.

One of the two escaped inmates was charged in connection with the 2022 killing of a senior police officer.

The officer, Abdul Razzaq Abdel Hafez Al Dalabeh, was killed during clashes with protesters that broke out over high fuel prices. Three additional officers were killed while trying to arrest suspects in connection with Al Dalabeh’s death.

A statement by the directorate says Saturday’s shootout took place in a rugged area in the kingdom’s southeast. It says authorities are investigating how the two men had escaped from prison.