Guards gunned down a Qatari today after he opened fire at an airbase used by US warplanes, triggering a security scare two days ahead of major international trade talks in the Gulf state, officials said.
A US embassy official initially said some Americans were wounded in the attack, but in Washington the Pentagon said there were no US injuries. The US embassy subsequently declined to clarify the differing account of events.
The shooting alarmed senior trade officials arriving in the tiny country from around the world for the five-day gathering of the 142-nation World Trade Organisation, which starts on Friday.
"That is shocking news," said Mr Stuart Harbinson, chairman of the WTO General Council and the WTO's Hong Kong ambassador.
"This is a very, very sad incident, but it is unrelated to the conference," WTO chief Mr Mike Moore said. He said he did not believe it would affect the WTO event.
There has been concern among some member countries about security in Qatar because of the Gulf's proximity to US military action in Afghanistan.
The White House said it saw no immediate connection between the shooting and the US war on so-called terrorism.
"From all early appearances, there are no indications of a connection," spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer told reporters.
Qatar authorities named the attacker as Abdullah Mubarak Tashal al-Hajiri and said he had attacked the Udeid airbase at 10.35 a.m. (7.35 a.m. Irish time) in what appeared an isolated incident.