Jordanian police officer killed in shootout in Karak

Jordanian police officer killed in shootout in Karak
A gunfight between militants and security forces near the site of a recent attack at a Crusader citadel in Karak left another officer injured.
1 min read
20 December, 2016
An attack in Karak over the weekend killed ten people [Getty]
A Jordanian police officer has been killed in a shootout in Karak, where an attack at the weekend claimed by the Islamic State group killed 10 people.

A second officer was wounded after security forces launched a raid in search of suspects linked to Sunday's attack, according to a security source.

The operation remained ongoing on Tuesday evening.

"A shootout erupted after security forces arrived to raid a house in the Qarifla region of Karak province, where the gunmen have sought shelter," said Haitham Ziadeen, the local member of parliament.

Gunmen killed 10 people on Sunday, with police and a Canadian tourist among the fatalities. A further 34 people were wounded in the shooting spree in Karak, home to one of the region's biggest Crusader-era castles.

Four militants were killed by the Jordanian security forces.

The Islamic State group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out by four "soldiers of the caliphate", in revenge for US-led coalition airstrikes targeting militants in Syria and Iraq.