Three US troops killed in a drone strike on a US base in the Middle East
The drone attack near the Jordan-Syria border resulted in the deaths of three US troops and left dozens injured.
According to US President Joe Biden, the attack was perpetrated by “radical Iran-backed militant groups,” and he vowed a response.
This marks the first instance of US troops being killed in the region since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.
Jordan clarified that the attack occurred in Syria, not within Jordan’s territory.
Other attacks have targeted US bases in the area; however, the US military has not reported any casualties thus far.
The perpetrators of this recent assault remain unidentified.
President Biden pledged that the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”
On Sunday morning, the White House disclosed that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and other officials briefed President Biden on the attack.
“In this despicable and wholly unjust attack, Jill and I stand in solidarity with the families and friends of our fallen – and with Americans across the nation,” expressed Mr Biden in a statement.
The identities of the fallen servicemen and those injured have not yet been disclosed as officials proceed with notifying their families.
While visiting South Carolina, President Biden acknowledged, “We had a challenging night in the Middle East. We lost three courageous souls.”
According to US officials, at least 34 military personnel are under evaluation for potential traumatic brain injuries, and some of the wounded soldiers were evacuated from the base for further medical care.
Officials also noted that the drone strike targeted the living quarters, a fact that, if confirmed, could account for the significant number of casualties.
US Central Command and President Biden confirmed that the assault occurred at a base in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border, later identified by US officials as Tower 22.
A Jordanian government spokesman, Muhannad Moubaideen, however, told state TV that the attack targeted al-Tanf base in Syria.
In December, US officials said that US bases in Iraq and Syria had been attacked at least 97 times since 17 October.
Last month, the US carried out airstrikes against Iran-affiliated groups after three US servicemembers were injured, one critically, in a drone attack on a base in northern Iraq.
Earlier in January, one retaliatory US strike in Baghdad killed a militia leader accused of being behind attacks on US personnel.
In a pre-recorded interview with ABC News that aired on Sunday morning, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen CQ Brown said that America’s aim in the region is to “not have the conflict broaden”.
“The goal is to deter them and we don’t want to go down a path of greater escalation that drives to a much broader conflict within the region.”
US and coalition troops are also stationed in the Red Sea after the Iran-backed Houthis began attacking commercial ships in the region. The Yemen-based group says it is targeting vessels in the region in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.
The US military has previously said “these unlawful actions have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza”.
“The Houthis have fired indiscriminately into the Red Sea, targeting vessels impacting over 40 countries around the world,” Centcom has said.
Two Navy Seals are presumed dead after they went missing in January during an operation off the coast of Somalia to seize Iranian-made weapons bound for Houthis in Yemen.
