Three Americans are killed by gunfire at Jordan airbase after their car failed to stop at the checkpoint 

  • One service member died at scene and two others died at a local hospital 
  • Shots were fired as the car tried to enter the al-Jafr base in Jordan  
  • In addition to US casualties, a Jordanian officer was also wounded
  • It wasn't clear what prompted the shooting as the investigation continues

By Dailymail.com Reporter and Associated Press

Published: 13:06 EDT, 4 November 2016 | Updated: 13:11 EDT, 4 November 2016

Three American military members were killed outside a military base in southern Jordan, US officials said.

An official in Washington said one US service member died at the scene and two others who were wounded died at a hospital in Amman, the Jordanian capital.

Shots were fired as a car carrying the Americans tried to enter the King Faisal Airbase in the al-Jafr area near the town of Mann around noon local time on Friday, military officials in the US and Jordan said.

Three American military members were killed outside a military base (file photo) in southern Jordan, US officials said. An official in Washington said one US service member died at the scene and two others who were wounded died at a hospital in Amman, the Jordanian capital

The American official said the US government was working with Jordanian officials to gather additional details.

The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because details of how the attack happened are still being investigated.

A Jordanian source told CBS News that it appeared to be an accidental shooting rather than terrorism.

Jordan is a key US ally and member of a US-led military coalition fighting the extremist Islamic State group, which controls parts of neighboring Iraq and Syria.

In addition to the US casualties, a Jordanian officer was also wounded, Jordanian representatives said.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the shooting.

Jordan 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.

The American official said the US government (file photo of US forces in Jordan) was working with Jordanian officials to gather additional details about the incident. In addition to the US casualties, a Jordanian officer was also wounded, Jordanian representatives said

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 US has spent millions of dollars to help the kingdom fortify its borders. 

Any sign of instability in Jordan would be of great concern for the West. 

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