Three US soldiers have died following a drone attack on a military base in Jordan, the US Army reported.
“On January 28, three U.S. service members were killed and 25 wounded by a one-way (drone) strike that hit a base in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
Following the deaths of the three soldiers, President Joe Biden threatened retaliation in Jordan. “Let there be no doubt. We will hold those involved accountable whenever and however we choose,” he said.
The attack marks an escalation in the tense situation in the Middle East amid the war between Israel and the Islamist militant group in the Gaza Strip.
Biden said the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed militants and that U.S. authorities “continue to gather the facts” surrounding the “totally unjust attack.”
Biden, who was in Columbia, South Carolina, on Sunday, was briefed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, the secretary said. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
There was no immediate reaction from Jordan, a kingdom bordering Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
About 3,000 American troops are usually stationed in Jordan. US troops have long used Jordan as a base, and the attack took place in northeastern Jordan, near the border with Syria.
Jordanian state television quoted Muhannad Mubaidin, a government spokesman, as insisting that the attack occurred outside the kingdom, across the border in Syria. It was not possible to immediately reconcile the contradictory information.
As of Friday, there had been more than 158 strikes against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, although officials have described the constant barrage of drones, rockets and missiles as unsuccessful as they have often caused no serious injuries or damage to the infrastructure.
It is unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began on October 17. The US forces at the outpost are part of an advisory mission.
With information from AP and AFP.