According to President Joe Biden, “radical Iranian-backed groups” were behind the attack.
– We are still gathering information about the attack, but we know that it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq, he says in a statement. There he also promises to ensure that those who were behind it are held accountable.
Source: At least 34 injured in the attack
It was CNN who first reported the drone attack. The attack is the first in which US soldiers have been killed in the Middle East since the start of the Gaza war.
A US official says 34 people are being checked for traumatic brain injury as a result of the drone strike. It is unknown whether any of these also have other injuries, and what their condition is. It was initially reported that 25 were injured, before the figure was adjusted up.
American media write that the attack that killed the soldiers took place at an outpost where American forces were stationed in the north-eastern part of Jordan. The camp is referred to as Tower 22. It is close to the Syrian border.
A spokesperson for the Jordanian authorities, on the other hand, denies that the attack took place in Jordan. Muhannad al Mubaidin tells the Jordanian broadcaster al Mamlaka that the attack was aimed at the US Al-Tanf base in Syria.
Unclear circumstances surrounding the attack
CNN writes that until Friday there have been more than 158 attacks against American and other forces in Iraq and Syria fighting IS.
The forces have reported that the attacks have been largely unsuccessful. It is unclear why the Air Force failed to protect against the drone attack, which is reportedly the first against Tower 22 since October 17.
American soldiers have long used Jordan as a base, and there are usually about 3,000 forces there.
Biden was in the city of Columbia in South Carolina when he was informed of the attack on Sunday morning. He received the message from Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and second-in-command security adviser Jon Finer.