South African one of 5 killed in Jordan attack
AMMAN: A Jordanian officer shot dead two US government security contractors, a South African trainer and two Jordanians at a US-funded police training facility near Amman on Monday before being killed in a shootout, Jordanian authorities said.
US President Barack Obama said he was treating very seriously the attack at the King Abdullah Training Centre, and a full investigation was under way.
A senior Jordanian official said the gunman was a police captain, and authorities identified him as Anwar Abu Zeid. There was no immediate word about the motive for the attack.
Jordan is a staunch US ally in the Washington-led campaign against the self-styled Islamic State militants who hold large areas of neighbouring Syria and Iraq, a position Jordanian officials say leaves the kingdom vulnerable to jihadist attacks.
“This incident sadly does not come as a surprise as the threat of Islamist terrorism has only increased in the region in the last few years in the aftermath of Syria and Iraq. As much as preemptive measures have been taken, it is impossible to eradicate all risks,” said a senior Jordanian official who requested anonymity, citing political sensitivities.
There were differing early reports on the number killed, with three US sources saying eight people died. Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad Momani denied this, saying the official death toll stands at six.
Obama told reporters at the White House: “The fact that someone dressed in military uniform carried out an attack at a training facility in Jordan, we take this very seriously, and we’ll be working closely with the Jordanians to determine exactly what happened.”
The shooting spree took place on the 10th anniversary of alQaeda suicide bombings that targeted three Amman luxury hotels and killed 57 people, the deadliest militant attack in Jordanian history. – Reuters