Two U.S. Military Trainers Shot in Jordan
DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. 10:12 AM ET 11/4/2016
Two American military trainers were shot and killed as they tried to enter a military air base in southern Jordan on Friday, the state news agency Petra reported.
The Americans were in a car at the gate of the Prince Faisal air base in the city of al-Jafr when a firefight erupted, the report said. It wasn't immediately clear who opened fire on the car or why. A third American trainer and a Jordanian officer were wounded in the exchange of fire.
The U.S. Embassy in Amman said it had received reports about a security incident involving U.S. personnel and was in contact with the appropriate Jordanian authorities, who have offered their full support.
This is the fourth attack in a year on security services in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in such violence. Islamic State claimed one of the three previous attacks and suspected loyalists of the extremist group were behind the other two, according to Western officials.
Jordan is a close U.S. ally and has allowed the American military to use its territory to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels. The U.S. and Jordan have close intelligence cooperation to combat extremism in the Middle East.
Write to Maria Abi-Habib at maria.habib@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-04-161012ET
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