Special to WorldTribune.com

Two U.S. government contractors were among four people killed by a Jordanian police officer near Amman on Nov. 9.

A U.S. official said the police officer opened fire at a U.S.-funded security training facility, killing the two contractors, a South African trainer and a Jordanian translator. Four Jordanians and one Lebanese citizen were wounded.

The gunman, a police captain and trainer at the King Abdullah Training Center, was also killed in the shootout.

Several earlier plots to attack the training facility were foiled, Jordanian security officials said. Jordan is a key ally in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad Momani said the gunman was killed by Jordanian security forces inside the training center. The shooter did not commit suicide as security sources had reported earlier.

“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 pre-emptive measures have been taken, it is impossible to eradicate all risks,” said a senior Jordanian official who requested anonymity.

A U.S. official said the two American contractors killed in the shooting were working for the U.S. State Department’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau training Palestinian security forces.

“The investigation is ongoing and it is premature to speculate on motive at this point,” a U.S. embassy statement said. “We are working closely with the government of Jordan and local security services on a full and comprehensive investigation. We strongly condemn this incident and we deeply appreciate the cooperation and support received from our Jordanian partners.”

Jordan hosts several hundred U.S. contractors, including the stationing of F-16 fighter jets that use Jordanian airfields to attack ISIL targets in neighboring Syria.

  dead after Jordan shooting incident, Five, Four, including two U.S. contractors, King Abdullah Training Center, WorldTribune.com