Jordan says rogue officer kills 2 Americans, 1 South African at training camp

Iraqi police train at a U.S-backed center outside Amman, Jordan

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

published 9 November 2015

On Monday, a Jordanian policeman fired on a group of foreign trainers at a military training camp outside Amman, the capital, killing two Americans and one South African trainer, and wounding two more Americans and four Jordanians. The gunman was shot dead. Government spokesman Mohammed Momani classified the shooting as a "crime" that will be investigated, but the attack at the Jordan International Police Training Center calls into question the stability of the kingdom as it steps up to fight Islamic State.

The gunman was a 29-year-old police captain, and he opened fire in the training facility's cafeteria, CBS News reports, citing a source. The U.S.-financed camp primarily trains Iraqi and Palestinian officers. Jordan hasn't named a motive for the attack, but Reuters notes that it took place on the 10th anniversary of a deadly al Qaeda terrorist attack on three luxury hotels in Amman.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.