US military
President says: “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know that it was carried out by radical Iranian-backed militant groups.”
Guardianship staff and agencies
Sun Jan 28, 2024 5:13pm GMT
Three US soldiers were killed and many injured in an unmanned drone strike on US forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden said on Sunday, blaming Iranian-backed groups for the attack.
“Many” military personnel were also injured in the attack, Biden said in a statement.
About 34 employees are being monitored for possible traumatic brain injuries, a U.S. official told Portal.
“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know that it was carried out by radical, Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden said.
They were the first U.S. deaths in months-long attacks by Iranian-backed militias on American forces across the Middle East during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Biden said the U.S. “will hold all those responsible accountable at a time and in a manner we choose.”
The attack occurred in northeastern Jordan, near the border with Syria. Typically, about 3,000 American soldiers are stationed in Jordan.
CNN reported that the attacks took place at Tower 22, a small outpost of U.S. forces who are there as part of an advisory and assistance mission with Jordan.
Since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, US troops in Iraq and Syria have been subjected to drone and rocket attacks on their bases. The attack on Jordan marked the first attack by American troops in Jordan during the war.
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