JORDAN: Jordanian police continued to detain scores of people in connection with three hotel bombings which killed 57 people and wounded hundreds in Amman.
While police would not confirm the number arrested during nationwide search operations, it is understood more than 100 people were being held.
"The authorities are interrogating a wide range of suspects from different nationalities, including Iraqi nationals," interior minister Awni Yarfas said.
Meanwhile, al-Qaeda in Iraq, the organisation led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, allegedly claimed that four Iraqis, including a husband and wife team, carried out the three suicide bombings in the Hyatt, Radisson and Days Inn hotels on Wednesday night.
One survivor, an employee at the Hyatt hotel, told a local television channel that he had spoken to a man believed to be the suicide bomber shortly before the explosion. He said the man appeared agitated, wore bulky clothing and had an Iraqi accent.
The internet claim by al-Qaeda in Iraq, the third issued since the bombings, said the bombers "vowed to die and they chose the shortest route to receive the blessings of God". The statement identified the attackers by pseudonyms - Abu Khabib, Abu Muaz, Abu Omaira and Om Omaira, the wife of Abu Omaira. While it was not possible to authenticate the claim, it appeared on a website that has published previous al-Qaeda statements.
Jordanian authorities said they had found the remains of three men believed to be the bombers but could not confirm a woman had taken part in the attacks.
The number of fatalities yesterday rose to 57, following the death of Syrian-born filmmaker Mustapha Akkad, producer of the Halloween films. Mr Akkad (75) suffered serious injuries in the Hyatt bombing, which also killed his daughter, Rima (34).
The fact that most of the victims were Jordanians, many of them guests at a wedding reception being held at the Radisson hotel, has caused widespread revulsion and anger throughout the country.
In a televised address, King Abdullah said Jordan had been targeted because it represented "the essence of Islam - the religion of moderation and tolerance that abhors the terrorists who kill innocents in Islam's name".
Wearing a traditional red and white keffiyeh, he added: "Let it be clear to everyone that we will pursue these terrorists and those who aid them, we will reach them wherever they are, pull them from their lairs and submit them to justice."
Thousands of flag-waving protesters marched through Amman for the second day yesterday, denouncing those believed responsible, including Al-Zarqawi.
Some of the largest demonstrations took place after prayers in the city's mosques, during which special prayers were said for the victims.
Visiting Amman, UN secretary general Kofi Annan condemned the attacks as a "heinous crime" and deplored "the scourge of terrorism".