Three US Troops Killed, More Than 30 Hurt in Drone Strike in Jordan
The attack took place at a military outpost in Jordan known as Tower 22.
by Susan Katz Keating
Three American service members were killed and 25 injured in a drone attack overnight on a small outpost in Jordan, officials said on Sunday. The drone was launched by Iran-backed fighters based in Syria, officials said.
“On Jan. 28, three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack UAS that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border,” U.S. Central Command wrote in a statement. The number has since been upgraded to more that 30 hurt.
The attack took place at a military outpost in Jordan known as Tower 22.
No further details have been released.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which functions as an umbrella group for a. number of Iran-backed groups, claimed credit for the attack there and in other sites along Jordan-Syria border.
President Joe Biden confirmed the attack in a statement from the White House.
“Today, America’s heart is heavy. Last night, three U.S. service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border,” Biden said. “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”
The government of Jordan condemned the attack that targeted an outpost on the border with Syria.
Jordanian spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen expressed Jordan’s condolences to the United States, and wished the injured a speedy recovery, according to a statement.
The servicemembers’ identities will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified, CENTCOM said.