Two Americans were killed when a Jordanian police officer opened fire on a U.S.-funded police training center in Jordan.
In addition, a South African contractor was killed, and four Jordanian citizens and two additional Americans were also wounded. The gunman also died at the scene.
According to Mohammad Momani, a spokesman for the Jordanian government, an investigation is currently underway into the gunman’s motives. Sources from the U.S. Department of State said that the attacker was a disgruntled former cop, who had recently been fired.
But these attacks may also be part of a terrorist attack, considering the date: Monday, November 9. That date represents the tenth anniversary of a string of hotel lobby bombings in Amman, Jordan that left 60 dead.
The explosions hit three hotels—all at American chain hotels, a Days Inn, a Hyatt, and a Radisson. Diplomats, who frequented those three hotels, were the primary target. The bombings rocked Jordanian politics.
Responsibility for the 2005 attacks was claimed by the terrorist organization then known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq—which would later become the foundation of ISIS, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
It’s unclear if the murder of two American police officers this morning were related to the anniversary of the hotel bombings, but Jordan’s role as a key American ally in the Middle East has left the small Middle Eastern kingdom open to tremendous criticism from ISIS.
Jordan has been a critical strategic staging point for the war to defeat ISIS. In addition, Jordan has also contributed troops and launched airstrikes on ISIS, in coordination with American troops.
But Jordan has also taken in 1.3 million Syrian refugees—a massive number considering their population is just over 6 million—which has put a strain on their economy.
Investigation into today’s murders are ongoing.
