Man from Kerala killed in Jordan while allegedly trying to enter Israel illegally

A 47-year-old man from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district was shot dead in Jordan allegedly by security forces while he was attempting to illegally cross the border of the country to Israel, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.

The man, identified as Thomas Gabriel, had gone to Jordan on a tourist visa. Another man, identified as 43-year-old Edison, was also with him while trying to cross the border and sustained injuries allegedly from a bullet, the Hindustan Times reported.

Gabriel and Edison, both from a fishing community and working as autorickshaw drivers, were residents of Thumba, which is located on the outskirts of the state capital.

The incident took place on February 10, five days after the two men had arrived in Jordan. Following the incident, Edison was deported to India and arrived at Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, The Indian Express reported.

Unidentified members from Gabriel’s family told The Indian Express that they were notified of his death by an official at the Indian Embassy in Amman on Saturday. The family members also said that they were unaware of his trip to Jordan or his attempt to cross illegally into Israel.

“Thomas and another person were trying to cross the Jordan border at Karkak district illegally,” The Indian Express quoted a letter from the Indian Embassy sent to Gabriel’s family as saying. “The security forces tried to…

Read more