WASHINGTON: Three US service members have been killed and dozens wounded throughout an unmanned aerial drone assault on US forces stationed in northeastern Jordan close to the Syrian border, President Joe Biden and US officers mentioned on Sunday (Jan 28).
Biden blamed Iran-backed teams for the assault, the primary lethal strike towards US forces since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October, sending shock waves all through the Center East.
“Whereas we’re nonetheless gathering the information of this assault, we all know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant teams working in Syria and Iraq,” Biden mentioned in a press release.
“Have little doubt – we’ll maintain all these accountable to account at a time and in a way 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.”
US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin echoed that risk. He and different senior officers briefed Biden earlier within the day on the assault.
A minimum of 34 personnel have been injured within the assault, however that quantity is anticipated to vary as extra folks search care, in keeping with a press release from US Central Command. Eight personnel have been evacuated from Jordan for higher-level care, however are in secure situation.
Two US 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 state of affairs within the Center East, the place conflict broke out in Gaza after Palestinian militant group Hamas’ assault on Israel on Oct 7 which killed 1,200 folks. Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza has killed over 26,000 Palestinians, in keeping with the native well being ministry.
Since then, US forces have come below assault greater than 150 instances by Iran-backed teams in Iraq and Syria, inflicting at the very least 70 casualties previous to Sunday’s assault, most of them traumatic mind accidents. US warships have additionally been fired at by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, who’re recurrently attacking business ships passing via Purple Sea waters off Yemen’s coast.
Whereas the US has so far maintained an official line that Washington shouldn’t be at conflict within the area, it has been retaliating towards the Iran-backed teams in Iraq and Syria and finishing up strikes towards Yemen’s Houthi army capabilities.
