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WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2016 — Three U.S. service members were killed in a
shootout Friday at the gates of an air base in southern Jordan, the military said.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the shooting.
The shots were fired as a car carrying the trainers tried to enter the al-Jafr base near
the southern Jordanian town of Mann, said the military. A Jordanian officer was also
wounded.
“Initial reports were that one (service member) was killed, two injured,” the official
said. “The two injured service members were transported to a hospital in Amman
where they died.”
The U.S. Embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, said it had received reports
about a security incident involving U.S. personnel and that it was in touch with
Jordanian authorities.
Jordan also faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting
alongside IS 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 United States has spent millions of dollars to help the kingdom fortify its
borders. For the West, any sign of instability in Jordan, a key ally, would be of
great concern.
Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook.
We are saddened to report that three U.S. service members were killed today in a
shooting incident at a Jordanian military base. The three service members were in
Jordan on a training mission, and the initial report is that they came under fire as
they were entering the facility in vehicles. 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. We will provide more
information as appropriate.