"Shall Respond", Says Joe Biden After 3 US Troops Killed In Jordan (image@CENTCOM)
US President Joe Biden blamed the Iran-backed militia group for the fatalities of the US troops, and said that Washington “shall respond”. Three American troops were killed and dozen more were injured during an overnight drone attack in the northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. “We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases…and we shall respond”, said Biden while he asked for a moment of silence during an appearance at a Baptist church’s banquet hall.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin responded to the attack and said that he is “outraged and deeply saddened by the deaths of three of the US service members and the wounding of other American troops in an attack last night against U.S. and Coalition forces, who were deployed to a site in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border to work for the lasting defeat of ISIS”.
I am outraged and deeply saddened by the deaths of three of our U.S. service members and the wounding of other American troops in an attack last night against U.S. and Coalition forces, who were deployed to a site in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border to work for the…
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) January 28, 2024
In a press release he said that, Iran-militias are responsible for the “continues attacks on US forces, and we will respond at a time and place of our choosing”. The press release read that the President and he will not tolerate attacks on American forces. He said, US will take all necessary actions to defend the United States. In a written statement, Biden said that US will “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing”.
Due to the risk of the increased military escalations in the region, US officials are reported to be working to identify the precise group responsible for the attack, but came to a conclusion that only one of the Iran-backed group was behind the attacks. US Central command said at least 34 troops were injured by the attack, and eight of the injured evacuated out of Syria for medical care.
The large one-way drone attack has struck a logistic support base in Jordan which is known as Tower 22. The logistic base lies along the Syrian border, and is used by troops involved in the advise-and-assist mission for the Jordanian forces.
According to US Central Command, approximately 350 US Army and Air Force personnel were deployed to the base. As per statements from several US officials, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, the three, who were reported to be killed were Army Soldiers, said AFP.
In a state-run Petra news agency, Jordan said that the country “condemned the terrorist attack” which targeted the US troops. “Jordan will continue to counter terrorism and the smuggling of drugs and weapons across the Syrian border into Jordan, and will confront with firmness and determination anyone who attempts to attack the security of the kingdom”, read the statement, as quoted by AFP.
