The names of the slain service members were withheld pending notification of their families. While previous incidents have resulted in some injuries to U.S. troops, Saturday night’s attack was the first instance of American service members being killed by hostile fire.
Biden pledged to honor the memory of the fallen troops, whom he referred to as “patriots in the highest sense.”
“We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism,” Biden said. “And have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.”
The one-way attack drone struck the living quarters of a base, a defense official said, causing injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to brain injuries and some that required a medical evacuation. The Pentagon said in a statement that 25 service members were wounded in the attack. The number of wounded is expected to rise as more troops report injuries, said the defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity around the incident.
The attack came as Jordan attempts to walk a line in the conflict, quietly partnering with the United States on counterterrorism while looking to avoid the wrath of Iran and other regional neighbors. While the defense official said the attack happened at a base known as Tower 22, in northeast Jordan near the border with Syria and Iraq, both Jordan and a senior official from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed that the attack targeted a U.S. base in Tanf, on the Syrian side of the border.
Officials are trying to determine why air defense failed at known as Tower 22. The U.S. troops at the base are serving on an advise-and-assist mission with their Jordanian counterparts, the defense official said.
The first American combat fatalities since the war in Gaza immediately raised the question how, and where, the Pentagon might respond. U.S. forces have launched a series strikes in recent weeks in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, casting them as defensive efforts to stop attacks on U.S. troops.
It is unclear from which country the attack was launched, the official said. There have been nearly 160 attacks on U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq since Oct. 17, defense officials have said. Those attacks have included rockets, missiles and one-way attack drones laden with explosives.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group that includes Kataib Hezbollah, Nujabaa and other Iran-backed militants, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a senior official who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity in line with rules set by the group.
“As we said before, if the U.S. keeps supporting Israel, there will escalations. All the U.S. interests in the region are legitimate targets and we don’t care about U.S. threats to respond, we know the direction we are taking and martyrdom is our prize,” the Islamic Resistance in Iraq official said.
Missy Ryan and Mustafa Salim contributed reporting.
This story is developing and will be updated.
