Three US Army soldiers died and at least two dozen service members were injured in a drone attack last night against a small American outpost Jordanwhich marks the it is the first time that American troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the start of the Gaza war.
The attack, which occurred on Tower 22 in Jordan, near the Syrian border, It’s a significant climb. of an already precarious situation in the Middle East. Authorities said the drone was hit by Iranian-backed militiamen appeared to come from Syria.
US Central Command confirmed this in a statement on Sunday three service members were killed and 25 wounded in a one-way drone strike that “hit a base in northeast Jordan.”
President Joe Biden released a statement this Sunday about an attack he described as “despicable and unjust”: “Today the heart of America is heavy. Last night, three US service members were killed – and many injured – during an unmanned aerial attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border. While we are still piecing together the facts of this attack, we know that it was carried out by Iran-backed radical militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq”.
“The three American servicemen we lost were patriots in the highest sense of the word. And his final sacrifice will never be forgotten by our nation. Together, we will fulfill the sacred obligation we have to your families. We will strive to be worthy of your honor and valor. We will continue our commitment to fighting terrorism. And have no doubts: we will hold all those responsible accountable at the time and in the way we choose.”
As of Friday, there have been more than 158 strikes against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, though authorities have described the constant bombardment by drones, rockets and missiles as unsuccessful, often causing no serious injuries or damage to infrastructure.
It is unclear why air defenses did not intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks against US and coalition forces began on October 17. U.S. forces at the outpost are there as part of an advise-and-assist mission with Jordan.
U.S. officials have consistently said they do not want rising tensions in the Middle East to spill over into a regional war. Last week, asked whether the Pentagon had assessed that Iranian proxies were escalating their attacks against U.S. forces, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said: “Not necessarily, no.”
In a prerecorded interview with ABC News that aired Sunday morning, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said part of the U.S. job is to “make sure that, as things have happened in the Middle East, do not expand the conflict.”
“The goal is to deter them and we don’t want to go down a path of further escalation that leads to a much larger conflict within the region,” he said.
There have been dozens of injuries since the attacks began – a senior military official told reporters last week there were around 70 – but the Pentagon classified most of them as minors, apart from one US soldier who was seriously injured. wounded in an attack in Iraq on Christmas Day.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.