Washington (CNN) — The United States believes a group of fighters called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American service members, the White House said Wednesday in its first formal response to the events. Said in the allegation.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “We believe the attack in Jordan was planned, financed and facilitated by a group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which brings together several groups including Kata’ib Hezbollah “
The official flatly refused to attribute responsibility to Kata’ib Hezbollah, saying it was not the only group responsible for previous attacks on US targets.
“It’s certainly typical of the kind of things that Kata’ib Hezbollah does,” he said. He said: “The allegation that our intelligence community is comfortable with is that it was done by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.”
The offensive was the most serious in a series of hostilities targeting US forces in the Middle East since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, and marked the first time US service members have been killed by direct fire in the Middle East. Attacking from then on.
The soldiers killed in the attack were identified as Sergeant William Rivers, 46, originally from Carrollton, Georgia; Sergeant Kennedy Sanders, 24, originally from Waycross, Georgia; and Sergeant Breonna Moffett, 23, originally from Savannah, Georgia. Sanders and Moffett were posthumously promoted from the rank of specialist to sergeant, the Army Reserve said.
Biden spoke to the families of each of the three service members on Tuesday and will participate in a dignified transfer to Dover Air Force Base on Friday, officials said.
In addition to the three dead, more than 40 American soldiers were injured. Three of the injured soldiers were taken to a hospital in Germany on Tuesday afternoon for further treatment. The condition of all three is stable, but the condition of one is critical.
Kirby said that as the United States prepared to respond to the attack, the counter-attack would have several phases.
“We will respond in our own time and as per our schedule,” he said. He also elaborated: “The first thing you see won’t be the last.”
In that sense, he said that US intelligence was monitoring signs of groups transferring resources to the area before the US counter-attack.
Biden told reporters Tuesday that he has decided how to respond to the attack, but he did not say exactly what that response would be.
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