Updated: 3 US military trainers killed outside Jordanian air base

Harold C. Hutchison
Apr 2, 2018 9:43 AM PDT
1 minute read
Updated: 3 US military trainers killed outside Jordanian air base

SUMMARY

Updated with statement from U.S. Pentagon spokesman. A shootout outside the al-Jafr air base in Jordan has left three Americans dead. The

Updated with statement from U.S. Pentagon spokesman.

A shootout outside the al-Jafr air base in Jordan has left three Americans dead. The Associated Press initially reported that two were killed in the incident that left a Jordanian officer wounded as well. A Fox News alert reported that the third American had died.


U.S. and Jordanian Special Operations Forces react as a binational response force during a simulated special reconnaissance mission as part of Exercise Eager Lion 2016, May 23. Eager Lion 16 is a bi-lateral exercise in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan between the Jordanian Armed Forces and the U.S. Military designed to strengthen relationships and interoperability between partner nations. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Darius Davis/Released)

The dead Americans are reportedly military personnel assisting with training. According to the BBC, the Royal Jordanian Air Force released a statement saying that the shooting came after "an attempt by the trainers' vehicle to enter the gate without heeding orders of the guards to stop." The United States embassy in Jordan told the BBC that acknowledged "a security incident involving American personnel" and that they were "in contact with Jordanian officials." According to multiple reports, the incident is under investigation

"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," said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. "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."

In November 2015, a shooting at a police training center in Amman left five dead, including two Americans, and wounded seven others (including two more Americans). The shooter, a police officer, was killed by responding security personnel.

According the Royal Jordanian Air Force's web site, al-Jafr airbase is home to Number 9 Squadron, equipped with the Northrop F-5E Tiger. Number 9 Squadron's roles include air defense and ground-attack. The Tiger is an older plane, having entered service in 1973. It was widely exported to a number of countries, including South Korea, the Republic of China, Jordan, Thailand, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Mexico, and Singapore.

Jordan has been part of the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). One Jordanian F-16 pilot has been killed while that country participated. After the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh, ejected from his crashing plane, he was captured by ISIS and later burned alive.

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