The recent killing of two Jordanians and the wounding, by gunfire, of an Israeli in a residential building in the heavily fortified Israeli embassy compound in the Jordan capital of Amman http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/deadly-shooting-incident-israeli-embassy-jordan-170723185223671.html, once again raises the question of ‘duty of care’ for embassy personnel and security.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry reported that a shooting took place on the evening of Sunday 23rd July in a residential building used by embassy personnel. On Monday, it said that a security guard had shot and killed the two Jordanians involved in the confrontation.
Commenting on the incident, Paul Weldon, managing director of The Panic Room Company said: “Such attacks on embassy buildings, compounds and official government safe houses are no longer uncommon.
“The randomness and unpredictability of such attacks – apparently the two Jordanians were employed by a furniture business and were in the compound to carry out repairs – only underlines the need to review and enhance security for personnel both inside and outside such buildings.”
Continues Paul: “In every case like this, prevention has to be better than cure. So what could the compound’s security team do to ensure this type of attack is never repeated?
“Of course, additional security personnel could support this alongside further security training for those working and living inside the compound with both options coming with a regular cost to implement. Investment in improving the actual infrastructure of the compound by including a safe room or safe area would provide a long-term solution, however, for a one-off cost.”
Concludes Paul: “Either way, further investment and strategy are absolutely necessary to prevent further attacks of this type at this compound and those like it across the globe.”
