Three US troops killed & 34 injured in drone attack in Jordan

Summary

President Biden said America will hold accountable those responsible for a drone attack that killed 3 US soldiers and injured 34 at a military base in Jordan near the Syrian border. The White House says the attack was carried out by a radical Iran-backed militant group operating in Syria and Iraq. Biden said the attack shows the wider reverberations of conflict with Hamas in Gaza, as US allies like Israel face retaliation from Iranian proxies. This attack represents an escalation, and Biden vowed the US will respond against the perpetrators at a time of their choosing.

Takeaways

• 😡 Attack on US military base in Jordan kills 3 soldiers, wounds 34
• 😤 President Biden says attack carried out by Iran-backed militant groups in Syria/Iraq
• 😞 3 US service members killed were 'patriots in the highest sense', per Biden statement
• 😠 US vows to hold responsible parties accountable in response
• 🤔 Attack occurred while US soldiers were sleeping
• 😕 Base located near Jordan-Syria border, where US forces have been stationed for years
• 🤨 Attack part of wider campaign against US forces in region
• 😣 First US service personnel killed since Hamas attacks on Israel in Oct 2021
• 😡 US wholeheartedly supports Israel against Hamas - prompting retaliation
• 😠 Biden: US will respond to attack at time & place of its choosing

Q & A

Where did the drone attack take place that killed 3 US soldiers?

The drone attack took place at a military base in Jordan near the Syrian border.

How many US soldiers were killed and injured in the attack?

3 US soldiers were killed and 34 were injured in the drone attack.

Who does the US believe carried out the attack?

The US believes the attack was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.

What did President Biden say about holding those responsible accountable?

President Biden said the US will hold all those responsible for the attack to account at a time and in a manner of their choosing.

How long have US forces been based in the area where the attack occurred?

The US has had forces based in the area around the Jordanian-Syrian border for many years, at least since the height of the Syrian civil war when they were fighting ISIS.

What other recent attacks have targeted US forces in the region?

There have been a number of recent attacks targeting US forces in Iraq, northeast Syria, and in the Red Sea region.

Why does the correspondent say this attack is significant?

The correspondent says this attack that killed US soldiers is significant because it shows the reverberations of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on US allies in the wider Middle East region.

What is the US position regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas?

The US has been wholly supportive of Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

What did the correspondent say the US response would be?

The correspondent said the US has made clear it will respond to attacks from Iranian-backed militias like the Houthis at a time and place of its choosing.

Were the killed and injured US soldiers expecting the attack?

No, the correspondent said the US soldiers who were killed and injured were sleeping at the time of the attack.