Three American service members were killed and several others were wounded in a drone strike near the Syrian border in northeast Jordan, according to President Joe Biden. The attack has been attributed to Iran-backed militia groups, marking the first U.S. fatalities in months of strikes against American forces in the Middle East. U.S. officials are working to identify the precise group responsible for the attack but have assessed that one of several Iranian-backed groups is to blame. President Biden has vowed to hold all those responsible accountable.
There is a discrepancy in reports about the location of the attack. Jordanian state television claims it occurred outside of the kingdom, in Syria, while U.S. officials insist it happened in Jordan. American troops have long used Jordan as a basing point and around 3,000 American troops are typically stationed there.
This attack on American troops in Jordan is significant as it marks the first targeting of U.S. forces in the country during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In recent months, U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have faced drone and missile attacks on their bases. Other attacks have resulted in serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.
The U.S. has responded to these attacks by striking targets in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, with the aim of deterring Iranian-backed rebels from threatening commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The region remains volatile, with ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq and the presence of Iranian-backed forces in both countries.
Jordan, a key Western ally, has also been suspected of launching airstrikes in Syria to disrupt drug smugglers. An umbrella group for Iran-backed factions, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria during the Israel-Hamas war.
President Biden has condemned the attack as "despicable and wholly unjust" and praised the service members for their commitment to fighting terrorism. He has pledged that the U.S. will continue the fight against terrorism and hold those responsible for the attack accountable.