The shooting rampage in a southern US military base in Texas that killed at least 12 soldiers and wounded more than 30 others has left Americans shocked and dismayed.

Deeply saddened by the tragic events at Fort Hood, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in a statement, "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen, the wounded, and all those touched by this incident," he said.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representative, said the shooting is an unspeakable tragedy for the families, soldiers, civilians, and support staff on the base.

"Our brave men and women in uniform train day in and day out to preserve our security. They should never have to face the forces of violence here at home," she said.

Talking to the Fox News Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said Fort Hood has a contingent of about 50,00 and has a lot of deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq. "They have been a very active base in supporting our military in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said and termed the shootout as heartbreaking.

The US Army in a statement said there were more than one shooter, one of whom was identified as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was about to be deployed to in Iraq. Lieutenant General Bob Cone, Commanding General, Fort Hood, Texas, said they have apprehended two other soldiers as suspect.

"There were eyewitness accounts that there may have been more than one shooter. They tracked the suspected individuals to an adjacent facility, and they were apprehended. They are soldiers, but, again, they are suspects at this time, and we're looking into that," Cone said.

... contd.