A Jordanian armored personnel service and U.S. tanks participate within the ”Keen Lion” multinational navy workouts in Jordan in September 2022. The U.S., Jordan and 28 companion nations took half within the workouts, representing one of many largest navy workouts within the area.
Khalil Mazraawi/AFP through Getty Photos
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Khalil Mazraawi/AFP through Getty Photos
A Jordanian armored personnel service and U.S. tanks participate within the ”Keen Lion” multinational navy workouts in Jordan in September 2022. The U.S., Jordan and 28 companion nations took half within the workouts, representing one of many largest navy workouts within the area.
Khalil Mazraawi/AFP through Getty Photos
President Biden is vowing to reply after a drone strike linked to Iran killed three U.S. service members. The assault wounded not less than 34 others and that quantity may rise, in accordance with a U.S. official.
The unmanned aerial drone struck American troops stationed in northeast Jordan close to the Syrian border early Sunday.
”We had a troublesome day final evening within the Center East. We misplaced three courageous souls,” Biden mentioned throughout a cease at Brookland Baptist church in West Columbia, S.C. After main a second of silence, Biden mentioned: ”And we will reply.”
The assault occurred at a assist base often known as Tower 22 and sure hit a barracks, a U.S. protection official informed NPR.
Tower 22 helps the Al-Tanf Garrison in southeastern Syria, the place U.S. particular operations have lengthy operated in tandem with different nations in combating Islamic State militants.
A U.S. official informed NPR that the service members’ accidents fluctuate, with many affected by traumatic mind damage. There are additionally stories of a spinal damage and not less than one case of a shrapnel wound.
It marks the primary lethal assault on U.S. forces within the Center East because the Israel-Hamas broke out with the Hamas assaults on Israel on Oct. 7. The U.S. has been making an attempt to include the battle and stop it from spreading additional within the area.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of militias backed by Iran, claimed credit score for the assault. The group known as it revenge for America’s navy presence within the area and the Palestinian dying toll in Gaza. Greater than 25,000 folks have been killed in Gaza, in accordance with Gaza’s well being ministry.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have attacked a complete of 4 navy bases on Sunday — three of that are U.S. bases in Syria and on the Syrian-Jordanian border, and one belonging to Israel. There was no affirmation of different assaults from U.S. officers.
Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin described the service members as ”courageous People” who had been deployed to northeastern Jordan to ”work for the lasting defeat of ISIS.”
”The President and I cannot tolerate assaults on American forces, and we are going to take all essential actions to defend america, our troops, and our pursuits,” he mentioned in an announcement.
U.S. Central Command mentioned it’s within the technique of notifying the households of the service members.
About 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria and a pair of,500 in Iraq, largely to assist battle ISIS. Because the Israel-Hamas conflict began, Iranian-linked forces have carried out greater than 140 assaults in these two nations.
Earlier this month, Central Command mentioned a ”quantity” of U.S. navy personnel had been evaluated for traumatic mind accidents after Iran-backed teams launched a number of ballistic missiles and rockets on an airbase in western Iraq. Many of the missiles had been intercepted however not less than one Iraqi service member was wounded, it added.
In December, three U.S. service members had been injured, one critically, by a drone strike in northern Iraq. In response, the U.S. mentioned it carried out a number of airstrikes in opposition to amenities utilized by militants.
NPR’s Tom Bowman and Jane Arraf contributed reporting.