Jordan horror crime: 10 arrested for chopping off hands, gouging out eyes of teenager

Dubai: A Jordanian special police taskforce has arrested 10 suspects involved in chopping off the hands and gouging out the eyes of a 16-year-old boy in Zarqa, local media reported. The arrests were made after Jordan’s King Abdullah II personally followed up the security operation in Zarqa city, 25km east of the Jordanian capital Amman.

King Abdullah stressed the need to take the strongest legal action against the criminals who commit crimes that terrorise society, highlighting the importance of citizens enjoying security and safety in their country. He also ordered the necessary treatment and health care be provided to the victim.

The horror crime happened on Tuesday when the suspects kidnapped the teenager and took him to an uninhabited area where they brutally assaulted him by cutting off both his hands and gouging out his eyes using sharp objects. Later the arms of the boy were sent to his mother in plastic bags.

In an interview with local media, the victim, Saleh, said that he was kidnapped by 10 men when he was on his way to buy bread. “I recognised the criminals when I saw them and tried to escape but they managed to catch and take me to a house in an abandoned area where they chopped off my hands and gouged out my eyes. Only God gave me the strength to bear what had happened to me,” he said.

An eyewitness told a local newspaper that the Zarqa crime was revenge for the murder of the uncle of one of the suspects by the victim’s father. The video went viral on social media before Jordanian authorities issued an urgent decision banning the circulation of the footage due to the cruel and horrifying scenes.

Dr. Mabrouk Al Suraiheen, director of Zarqa Government Hospital, said the vital signs of the boy are stable and he is in good condition despite the severe physical injuries he sustained. He is out of danger.