2 killed in shooting at Israeli embassy in Jordan

Two Jordanians were killed and an Israeli was wounded by gunfire Sunday in a residential building at the Israeli embassy compound in Jordan’s capital, the kingdom’s Public Security Directorate said.

Israeli media reported Monday that an Israeli security guard opened fire after a Jordanian worker attacked him with a screwdriver. The worker and the Jordanian owner of the building were wounded and later died, the reports said.

Jordan’s security agency confirmed that Jordanians had entered the apartment building for carpentry work.

The statement said the building was in the Israeli embassy compound, but the Israeli media reports indicated that the building was not part of the compound.

The Jordanian security agency did not say what triggered the shooting.

Three people were initially wounded, the security agency said. Two Jordanians later died, according to the agency and the news site Hala Akhbar, which is linked to the Jordanian military.

One of the Jordanians killed was a physician at the scene, the security agency said.

The Israeli was in “unstable” condition, the news site said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no comment.

The incident comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Muslim world over metal detectors Israel installed at a Jerusalem shrine revered by Muslims and Jews.

Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the site. On Friday, thousands of Jordanians staged an anti-Israeli protest in Amman.