Washington: Three U.S. service members have been killed and dozens could also be wounded after an unmanned aerial drone assault on U.S. forces stationed in northeastern Jordan close to the Syrian border, President Joe Biden and U.S. officers mentioned on Sunday.
Biden blamed Iran-backed teams for the assault, the primary lethal strike in opposition to US forces because the Israel-Hamas battle erupted in October and despatched shock waves all through the Center East.
“Whereas we’re nonetheless gathering the details of this assault, we all know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant teams working in Syria and Iraq,” Biden mentioned in an announcement. “Have little doubt – we are going to maintain all these accountable to account at a time and in a fashion of our selecting,” he mentioned.
Biden later requested for a second of silence for the three killed service members throughout a marketing campaign occasion in South Carolina, including, “We will reply.”
U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin echoed that risk. He and different senior officers briefed Biden earlier within the day on the assault.
Not less than 34 personnel have been injured within the assault, however that quantity is anticipated to alter as extra folks search care, in line with an announcement from U.S. Central Command. Eight personnel have been evacuated from Jordan for increased degree care, however are in secure situation.
Two U.S. officers mentioned the drone struck close to the barracks early within the morning, which might clarify the excessive variety of casualties.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of hardline Iran-backed militant teams, claimed assaults on three bases, together with one on the Jordan-Syria border.
The assault is a serious escalation of the already tense scenario within the Center East, the place battle broke out in Gaza after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ assault on Israel on Oct. 7 which killed 1,200. Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza has killed over 26,000 Palestinians, in line with the native well being ministry.
Since then, U.S. forces have come below assault greater than 150 instances by Iran-backed teams in Iraq and Syria, inflicting no less than 70 casualties previous to Sunday’s assault, most of them traumatic mind accidents. U.S. warships have additionally been fired at by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, who’re commonly attacking industrial ships passing by means of Purple Sea waters off Yemen’s coast.
Whereas america has to date maintained an official line that Washington shouldn’t be at battle within the area, it has been retaliating in opposition to the Iran-backed teams in Iraq and Syria and finishing up strikes in opposition to Yemen’s Houthi army capabilities.
BIDEN PRESSURED ON IRAN
Republican opponents of Biden seized on the assault as proof of the Democratic president’s failure to confront Iran as its proxies strike in opposition to U.S. forces throughout the area.
“The one reply to those assaults have to be devastating army retaliation in opposition to Iran’s terrorist forces … Something much less will verify Joe Biden as a coward,” mentioned Republican Senator Tom Cotton in an announcement.
U.S. Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell mentioned Biden’s inaction was emboldening enemies of america within the Center East.
“The time to start out taking this aggression severely was lengthy earlier than extra courageous Individuals misplaced their lives,” McConnell mentioned.
A senior official with the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas, Sami Abu Zuhri, straight tied the assault to Israel’s marketing campaign in Gaza.
“The killing of three American troopers is a message to the U.S. administration that except the killing of innocents in Gaza stops, it should confront all the nation,” he advised Reuters.
“The continued American-Zionist aggression on Gaza is able to exploding the scenario within the area.”
The U.S. army mentioned the assault occurred at a base in northeastern Jordan, close to the Syrian border. It didn’t title the bottom, however an individual accustomed to the matter recognized it as Tower 22 in Jordan.
U.S. army exercise in Jordan generally is a delicate difficulty, notably at a time of heightened tensions as a result of Israel-Hamas battle, due to growing concern in Jordan concerning the battle spreading.
The Jordanian authorities mentioned solely that the assault occurred at an “superior publish” alongside its border with Syria.
Late final yr, Amman requested Washington to deploy Patriot air protection techniques to bolster its border protection.
It has requested extra help to sort out drones utilized in a raging multibillion-dollar drug battle alongside the border with Syria, which Amman blames on pro-Iranian militias who maintain sway in southern Syria.
The dominion has a whole bunch of U.S. trainers within the nation and holds intensive workout routines with U.S. troops all year long.
