Jordan MP Fires Kalashnikov at Rival in Parliament

A Jordanian MP was arrested after firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle in parliament at a colleague on Tuesday, without causing injuries, judicial and parliamentary sources said.

"The prosecutor general of Amman on Tuesday ordered the detention for 15 days of Talal al-Sharif after he opened fire on MP Qusay al-Damissi in the Chamber of Deputies building," said the judicial source.

"He faces charges including attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and resisting the security forces," she added.

Sharif was expelled from parliament and Damissi suspended for one year, according to Jordan's official Petra news agency.

A parliamentary source told Agence France Presse that "Mr. Sharif shot a Kalashnikov at his colleague Damissi during an altercation in the offices of the Chamber of Deputies, without hurting him."

The source said the shooting came after an argument broke out in parliament on Sunday between Damissi and another member, Yahia al-Saud.

Video footage emerged showing Damissi removing his shoes and Saud his belt during the dispute, which flared due to differences over parliamentary procedure, before they were separated.

In July 2012, a live television debate on domestic issues between two deputies also degenerated into fisticuffs before one of them pulled out a gun and was overpowered.