Jordan holds 12 in bomb probe
2005-11-11 18:46
Amman - Jordanian authorities have detained 12 suspects, including its own citizens, in connection with Wednesday's suicide bombings at three Amman hotels, said deputy prime minister Marwan Muasher on Friday.
Muasher refused to divulge the nationalities of the other suspects, but informed sources said a number of Iraqis were among them.
He said he could not confirm allegations by the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda, that three men and a woman, all of them Iraqis, had masterminded and carried out the Amman attacks.
"Intensive investigations are going on and we cannot disclose any details at this juncture to deprive terrorist groups from making benefit from such information," he said.
Film director dies of injuries
The number of people killed by three suicide bombers who targeted the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels rose to 57 on Friday when prominent Syrian film director Mustafa Akkad died of injuries from the blast, which also killed his daughter, Rima.
Al-Qaeda's Iraqi branch, headed by Jordanian extremist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for the attacks, which left more than 100 injured.
Most of the victims were Jordanians, but five Iraqis, three Chinese, one Saudi, an Indonesian, and an Arab Israeli were also killed.
A total of 41 injured were still in hospital on Friday, said Muasher.
- SAPA