January 28, 2024, 12:56 p.m. ET
First on CNN: Three US soldiers killed and more than 20 injured in a drone strike in Jordan, officials say
By CNN's Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand and Oren Lieberman
Three US Army troops At least two dozen soldiers were killed and at least two dozen soldiers injured in an overnight drone strike on a small US outpost in Jordan, US officials told CNN. This was the first time that US troops had been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the start of the Gaza War.
The murder of three Americans in Tower 22 in Jordan Near the border with Syria there is a clear escalation of the already precarious situation in the Middle East.
U.S. Central Command confirmed in a statement later Sunday that three soldiers were killed and 25 injured in a unilateral drone strike that “hit a base in northeastern Jordan.”
As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria. But officials described the constant barrages of drones, missiles and missiles as ineffective as they often failed to cause serious injuries or damage to infrastructure.
It is unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on U.S. and coalition troops began on October 17. U.S. forces at the outpost are on site with Jordan as part of an “advise and assist mission.”
U.S. officials have repeatedly said they do not want rising tensions in the Middle East as Israel fights with Hamas to escalate into a regional war.
Asked last week whether the Pentagon assessed that Iranian proxies were increasing their attacks on U.S. forces, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh replied: “Not necessarily, no.”
This post has been updated with confirmation from U.S. Central Command.