Three US military trainers were killed on Friday in Jordan when their vehicles came under fire as they were entering a military base, the Pentagon said, without clarifying whether or not the shooting was believed to be deliberate.
“We are saddened to report that three US service members were killed today in a shooting incident at a Jordanian military base,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said, adding more information would be provided “as appropriate”.
“We are working closely with the government of Jordan to determine exactly what happened. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of these service members.”
A Jordanian officer was also wounded in the incident, according A Jordanian officer was also wounded in the incident, according to the spokeswoman.
Reuters, citing a Jordanian military source, reported earlier on Friday that the Americans were killed when the car they were in failed to stop at the gate of the al-Jafr base near the town of Mann. The car was fired on by Jordanian security forces.
The US Embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman said it had received reports about a security incident involving US personnel and that it was in touch with Jordanian authorities.
Pro-Western Jordan is a key member of the US-led military coalition against the extremist Islamic State group, also known as Isis, which controls parts of neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
Jordan also faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom.
Last November, a Jordanian police captain opened fire in an international police training facility, killing two Americans and three others. The government subsequently portrayed the police captain as troubled.The US has spent millions of dollars to help the kingdom fortify its borders. For the West, any sign of instability in Jordan would be of great concern.
Agencies