Two US trainers were shot dead Friday at an airbase in Al Jafr, Jordan, the Jordanian government announced.
The trainers were in a vehicle attempting to enter the Prince Faisal airbase when the gunfire erupted, the government said. The airbase is in the south of Jordan.
Another US trainer was also wounded, along with a Jordanian officer, in the shootout.
The US embassy in Amman issued a statement saying: “We have received reports about a security incident involving US personnel. We are in contact with the appropriate Jordanian authorities, who have offered their full support. We will report more information when available and appropriate.”
The incident is under investigation.
The US began training Syrian rebels at locations in Jordan and Turkey last year as part of the continuing fight against ISIS in the region.
The pace and success of the training operation has come under scrutiny over the past year or so as ISIS made gains in the region through the end of 2015. At least one Syrian rebel trained through the US program has asked for increased assistance.
