Three American soldiers were killed and 34 others were injured in a drone attack in Jordan.
Those killed in the attack were sleeping in a tent in a place called Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border, and some of the injured were being evacuated from the country.
US President Joe Biden said that the attack was carried out by “extremist armed groups supported by Iran” in Syria and Iraq on Saturday evening.
The latest in the Middle East as Joe Biden blamed “Iranian-backed extremist armed groups” for the drone attack
He added in a statement: “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know that it was carried out by Iranian-backed extremist armed groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”
The Pentagon has not yet released details about the types of injuries sustained, but a U.S. official said 34 individuals were being monitored for possible brain injuries — a common occurrence after a large explosion.
A previous statement by the US Army had stated that 25 people were injured in the attack.
This is the first time that American soldiers have been killed in the region since the start of the war in Gaza.
Biden continued: “We will continue their commitment to fighting terrorism,” referring to the “patriots” killed in the attack.
“We have no doubt that we will hold all those responsible accountable at the time and in the manner we choose.”
But a Jordanian government spokesman said the attack did not occur on their territory and insisted it was in Syria.
The United States has long used Jordan – which neighbors Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria – as a staging point, where about 3,000 troops are usually stationed.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, US forces in Iraq and Syria have faced drone and missile attacks on their bases, but this was the first time they had been attacked in Jordan.
While US officials are still working to determine the exact group responsible for the attack, they believe one of several Iranian-backed groups is responsible.
US officials say the identities of military service members killed will be withheld for 24 hours until their relatives are notified.
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The attack represents a major escalation in the Middle East, where war broke out after the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking dozens hostage to Gaza.
The subsequent Israeli attack on Gaza killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.
While the United States has stressed that it is not at war in the region, it is – along with the United Kingdom – Launching strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen Groups that attack commercial ships in the Red Sea.
