Hikmat al-Hajou was the second-most senior diplomat in Iraq's embassy in Amman and he was known to have strong links with the Iraqi intelligence service. Last night he and his wife were visiting a businessman friend for an evening meal, marking the end of the daily fasting period which they were observing in accordance with Muslim practice during Ramadan.

Then a gang of unidentified attackers struck. According to some reports, the group had guns, whereas other reports say the murder victims were stabbed to death.

The diplomat, his wife and six others in the house were all killed. Iraq has condemned the murders as a cowardly act and is sending a foreign ministry official to Amman to monitor the Jordanian investigation.

Earlier this month the Iraqi commercial attache in Amman escaped injury after he was fired at from a passing car. The identity of those behind last night's murders is still unclear.