Three US troops were killed on Sunday, January 28, 2024, by a drone strike on a base in Jordan. President Joe Biden blamed insurgents backed by Iran and promised to hold those responsible accountable.
According to a statement released by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), “US forces at the outpost are there as part of an advise-and-assist mission with Jordan, and by later Sunday, January 28, 2024, approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel deployed to the base were there, conducting a number of key support functions, including support to the coalition for the lasting defeat of ISIS.”
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, this is the first occasion that enemy fire has killed American military personnel in the Middle East. The incident is expected to escalate tensions in the area and stoke worries about a wider battle that directly involves Iran.
In a statement on the attack, Biden stated, “We know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq, even though we are still gathering the facts of this attack.”
The president further added that “we will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt, we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”
25 people were reported injured in the strike, and the identities of those who died will not be released until their families are notified. according to US Central Command.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the killing of the soldiers “is a message to the American administration that unless the killing of innocent people in Gaza stops, it may be faced with the entire (Muslim) nation.”
“The continuation of the American-Zionist aggression on Gaza risks a regional explosion,” Abu Zuhri added.
An even worse scenario that Washington is frantically trying to avoid is a wider regional confrontation that directly involves Iran, as there are growing concerns about this due to the increasing violence in many parts of the Middle East.
