Three U.S. Troops Killed in Jordan Drone Attack by Iran-Backed Militias

Three U.S. service members were killed and 25 more injured in a drone strike on a base in northeast Jordan, U.S. Central Command said, marking the first American troops killed since Iran-backed militias began a campaign of attacks after the start of the Hamas-Israeli conflict in Gaza.

A U.S. official said Sunday that the attack took place overnight at Tower 22, a small outpost in Jordan that is near the Syria border. The drone struck living quarters for the troops, which contributed to the high casualties, a U.S. official said.

The strike, which was carried out by a one-way attack drone, marks an escalation in the region.

“Today, America’s heart is heavy,” President Biden said in a statement. “We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt—we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner [of] our choosing.”

Biden said, “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”

Tower 22 is located close to Al Tanf Garrison in southeastern Syria, where U.S. forces have worked with local partners combating Islamic State militants. Tower 22 has served as a logistics hub for Al Tanf and, unlike the garrison, hasn’t previously been targeted in the recent series of Iran-backed militia attacks.

The latest attack appeared to be calculated to catch the Americans off guard, said Andrew Tabler, who served as a National Security Council official on Syria policy during the Trump administration and is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank.

“Tower 22 would probably be less defended than Al Tanf and any other U.S. position in Syria because it is across the border in Jordan,” said Tabler. “The attack is a major escalation and is likely designed to drive U.S. forces out of Syria.”

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of pro-Iranian militias, claimed responsibility for attacks on three U.S. bases in Syria, including Al Tanf, which is close to the Iraqi and Jordanian borders.

Iran-backed militias have carried out more than 150 attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17 using mortars and launching drones, rockets and ballistic missiles.

Biden was briefed Sunday morning on the attack in Jordan by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and deputy national security adviser Jonathan Finer.

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