US diplomat shot dead outside Jordan home
( 2002-10-28 16:30 ) (7 )

A senior US diplomat was shot dead by an unknown assailant in front of his Amman home as he was heading to work, diplomats and officials said on Monday.

The assailant fled, a security official said.

A Western diplomat told Reuters the assailant fired a few shots before escaping after the shooting in an affluent part of Amman.

"There were a number of shots," one diplomat said.

Jordan is a major US ally in the Middle East, supporting Washington's policies in the region.