Middle East
Three US soldiers killed in drone strike in Jordan
US President Joe Biden: The attack was carried out “by radical militant groups supported by Iran”. photo
© Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The USA has long feared that the conflict in the Middle East could expand further. Now a deadly attack on US soldiers is likely to further aggravate the situation.
According to US media, it is the first time since the start of the Gaza war that US soldiers have been killed by an enemy attack in the Middle East. The security situation in the entire region is tense because of the war, which began with the Islamist Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. The US has repeatedly emphasized that it fears that the conflict in the Middle East could escalate into a regional war.
US base in northeast Jordan
There were initially conflicting reports about which US base in the border region was hit. Al-Jazeera news channel quoted a Jordanian government official as saying the US base attacked was outside Jordan. Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had attacked four US military bases, including three in Syria, on Sunday morning. Northeast Jordan borders both Syria and Iraq.
The US military’s regional command, Centcom, said the deadly attack occurred on Sunday at a US base in northeastern Jordan. Accordingly, in addition to the three soldiers killed, 25 others were injured. CNN reported that pro-Iranian fighters in Syria were responsible for the drone attack. It is unclear why the air defense could not intercept the drone, CNN said.
The 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.
Numerous attacks on US military bases
Pro-Iranian militias have carried out numerous attacks on US military bases in Iraq and Syria since mid-October, injuring dozens of US soldiers. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has counted more than a hundred attacks on anti-terror coalition bases in Syria since mid-October. The Pentagon had emphasized in the past that attacks generally did not destroy any infrastructure. The USA responded to the attacks with several air strikes.
As of summer 2023, around 3,000 US soldiers were stationed in Jordan, as the Axios portal reported. Among other things, they support Jordan in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS).
Biden emphasized that the US stands together “in the fight against terrorism.” “It’s a fight we won’t give up.” “Today the American heart is heavy,” Biden said. “These military members embodied the best our nation has to offer: Unwavering in their bravery. Unwavering in their duty. Unwavering in their commitment to our country.”