US military personnel killed by Jordanian officer shooting spree near Amman

Two American military personnel and one South African were killed when a Jordanian officer went on a shooting spree at a US-funded security training facility near Amman, Jordan’s government spokesman said.

Mohammad Momani told Reuters the attacker also wounded six people, including two Americans, one of whom was in critical condition, before being shot dead shot by Jordanian security forces.

The gunman did not commit suicide as security sources earlier said.

The incident occurred in a facility that mainly trains Iraqi and Palestinian forces on the outskirts of the capital Amman.

It took place on the 10th anniversary of al Qaeda suicide bombings that targeted three Amman luxury hotels, killing dozens of people in the worst militant attack in Jordanian history.

Jordan is a staunch US ally and part of the Washington-led coalition that is trying to defeat Islamic State insurgents in Syria and Iraq, both of which border Jordan.

The country hosts several hundred US trainers who are part of a military program to bolster the kingdom’s defense, including the stationing of F16 fighter jets that use Jordanian airfields.