The US military said that three American soldiers have died after a drone attack on a military base in Jordan.
“On January 28, a unilateral (drone) strike on a base in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border killed three U.S. service members and wounded 25,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
President Joe Biden threatened retaliation in Jordan after the deaths of three soldiers. “There should be no doubt about it. We will hold those involved accountable whenever and however we can,” he said.
The attack marks an increase in the tense situation in the Middle East amid the war between Israel and the Islamic militant group in the Gaza Strip.
The drone was used by pro-Iran terrorists
Biden said the attack was carried out by Iran-backed terrorists and that US officials “continue to gather facts” surrounding the “completely unjustified attack”.
Biden, who was in Columbia, South Carolina, on Sunday, was briefed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and principal deputy national security adviser John Finer, the secretary said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
There was no immediate reaction from Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, a state bordering Syria.
About 3,000 US troops are usually stationed in Jordan. US troops have long used Jordan as a base and the attack took place in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border.
Jordanian state television quoted government spokesman Muhannad Mubedin as saying that the attack took place outside the kingdom, across the border in Syria. It was not possible to immediately resolve the conflicting information.
As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, though officials have described the continued bombardment of drones, rockets and missiles as unsuccessful because they often have caused no serious injuries or damage. To infrastructure.
It is unclear why air defenses failed to stop the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began on October 17. US forces at the outpost are part of an advisory mission.
With information from AP and AFP.