According to Joe Biden, many more soldiers were injured in the attack near the Syrian border. The drone attack in Jordan was carried out by “radical, Iran-backed militant groups” operating in Syria and Iraq, the President of the United States said. However, they are still in the process of gathering the facts about the attack.
Biden threatened: “Have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible accountable, at a time and in a manner of our choosing.” The responsible regional command of the US military, Centcom, spoke of 25 injured soldiers. The attack occurred on Sunday at a US base in Jordan. No further background to the incident was given.
“Today the American heart is heavy”
Biden emphasized that the US would stand together “in the fight against terrorism” and would not give up. “Today the American heart is heavy,” he said. “These military members embodied the best our nation has to offer: unwavering in their bravery.”
According to US media, it is the first time that American soldiers have been killed by an enemy attack in the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. The USA has repeatedly emphasized that it fears that the Middle East conflict will expand into a regional war.
The drone probably came from Syria
CNN reports that the drone came from fighters supported by Iran. But she apparently came from Syria. It is unclear why air defense could not intercept the drone.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that US-led alliance forces shot down a drone belonging to pro-Iranian militias near Syria’s border with Jordan and Iraq. They tried to attack the Al-Tanf military base used by US troops.
The Observatory has counted more than 100 attacks on coalition bases in Syria since mid-October. US forces then also occasionally attacked targets of pro-Iranian militias. It is still unclear whether there were several consecutive attacks on the base on Sunday. The Al-Jazeera news channel quoted a Jordanian government official as saying that the attacked US base was outside Jordan.
gri/AR/hf (dpa, afp, rtr)