2 U.S. Navy sailors fatally shot at Bahrain base

CAIRO, Egypt -- A U.S. Navy sailor shot and killed two female sailors early Monday in the barracks an American military base in Bahrain, officials said.

The alleged shooter, a man, was critically wounded in the shooting at the U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain base, said a Navy official who was not authorized to release the information to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Navy said the shootings, which took place around 5 a.m. and forced the base to close for about an hour, were not terror related and only involved U.S. military personnel.

A State Department official in Washington said that although initial reports suggested the incident may have been the result of a "love triangle," it now appeared to be a case of a jilted boyfriend shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend and then shooting himself.

It was not clear if the second female victim was romantically involved, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.

The wounded sailor apparently shot himself, the Navy said. The Navy declined to release the names of those involved, saying their families had not been notified.

"The incident is under investigation, and it would not be prudent to discuss details at this time," said Navy spokesman Lt. John Gay.

Bahrain, a tiny island nation on the Persian Gulf, is a U.S. ally and home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which is responsible for an area of about 2.5 million square miles of water including the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.

About 3,600 personnel work on the U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain base, located just outside Bahrain's capital, Manama. The base supports U.S. naval ships in the region.