Drone attack on military base
Three US soldiers killed in Jordan
January 28, 2024, 6:48 p.m
The USA has long feared a conflagration in the Middle East. Three US soldiers die in a drone attack on an army base in Jordan. President Biden sees Iran as the mastermind behind the attack and is vowing retaliation.
Three US soldiers were killed and around two dozen others injured in a drone strike in Jordan near the Syrian border. US President Joe Biden said the attack was carried out “by radical, Iran-backed militant groups” operating in Syria and Iraq. However, they are still in the process of gathering the facts about the attack. Biden threatened: “Have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible accountable, at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”
The responsible regional command of the US military, Centcom, spoke of 25 injured soldiers. The attack occurred at a US base in Jordan. The US military did not provide any further background to the incident. Biden emphasized that the US stands together “in the fight against terrorism.” “It’s a fight we won’t give up.”
“Today the American heart is heavy,” Biden said. “These military members embodied the best our nation has to offer: unwavering in their bravery.” According to US media, it is the first time that US soldiers have been killed by an enemy attack in the Middle East since the Gaza war began in October. CNN reported that the drone came from fighters supported by Iran, but apparently came from Syria. It is unclear why air defense could not intercept the drone.
US worried about regional war
The US has repeatedly emphasized that it fears that the conflict in the Middle East could escalate into a regional war. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that US-led alliance forces shot down a drone belonging to pro-Iranian militias near Syria’s border with Jordan and Iraq. They tried to attack the Al-Tanf military base used by US troops. The Observatory has counted more than 100 attacks on coalition bases in Syria since mid-October. US forces then also occasionally attacked targets of pro-Iranian militias.
It initially remained unclear whether there had been several consecutive attacks on the base. The news channel Al-Jazeera quoted a Jordanian government official as saying that the attacked US base was outside Jordan.