On Sunday, three U.S. troops were killed along with 34 others injured in a drone strike on a military base located along the Syria border, according to U.S. Central Command. This makes it the first time American troops have been killed ever since Iran-backed militias have begun their campaign of attacks since the start of the Hamas-Israeli war.
President Biden, Photo Courtesy: Associated Press
President Joe Biden issued a statement about the attack stating, “Today, America’s heart is heavy…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.”
The attack took place at Tower 22, an outpost located in Jordan, and was targeted by a one-way drone. Tower 22 serves as a logistics hub for Al Tanf and is widely used by troops for advise-and-assist missions for fellow Jordanian forces.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is known for being a front for Iran-backed militias, with militias conflicting with the U.S. since 2018 when former President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with Tehran.
Tower 22, Photo Courtesy: The Independent
A Resistance official said in a statement, “As we said before, if the U.S. keeps supporting Israel, there will be 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.”
There have been at least 150 attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since mid-October, and on January 4th, an Iranian-backed militia leader was killed in a drone attack in an effort to put off further attacks.
According to former National Security Council official Andrew Tabler, “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…The attack is a major escalation and is likely designed to drive U.S. forces out of Syria.”