A United States official on Monday (Jan 29) said that the reason why the US failed to dodge the drone strike that hit an American military outpost in Jordan, killing three troops, was because the military drone reached the target at the same time when a US drone was also returning to the base, as per the Wall Street Journal reports.
The return of the drone launched by the United States led to confusion amongst officials over whether the drone that was coming was that of a foe or its own.
The US claimed that the drone, which claimed the lives of three troops, was launched by Iran-backed militant groups.
However, the United States has yet to find evidence if Iran directed the strike, said the US official.
US seeking ‘consequential’ response to attack, says White House
A White House spokesman on Monday (Jan 29) said that the US was seeking a “very consequential” response to the drone attack.
President Joe Biden “will respond” to the Sunday attack “in a very consequential way. But we don’t seek a war with Iran. We’re not looking for a wider conflict in the Middle East,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an interview with CNN.
After the drone strike hit the American outpost in Jordan, Biden released a statement vowing to hold the perpetrators to account.
“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,” Biden said in a statement on the attack.
“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,” he added.
The US president then called the three fallen service members “patriots,” praising their bravery and offering his grief, calling it a “despicable and wholly unjust attack.”
“Together, we will keep the sacred obligation we bear to their families. We will strive to be worthy of their honour and valour. We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism,” the president said.
The US Central Command said that dozens were injured from the attack near the Syrian border further adding that the identities of the ones killed will be withheld pending notification of their families.
Deadly attack on US troops occurred in Syria, claims Jordan
Meanwhile, Jordan released a statement saying that the strike took place at an army base in Syria near the border and not in its territory as was reported by the United States earlier.
Government spokesman Muhannad Mubaidin said the “attack that targeted the American forces did not happen in Jordan… It targeted Al-Tanf base in Syria”, where US forces are deployed as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.
Hamas spokesman says drone strike ‘a warning to American admin’
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri released a statement saying that the killing of the soldiers “is a message to the American administration that unless the killing of innocent people in Gaza stops, it may be faced with the entire (Muslim) nation.”
“The continuation of the American-Zionist aggression on Gaza risks a regional explosion,” Abu Zuhri said in a statement.
This is the first time that American troops have been killed in the Middle East since the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out.
The attack is being seen as a significant escalation of the already precarious situation in the Middle East. There have been more than 150 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, but most were unsuccessful as they did not cause serious injury or damage to infrastructure.
(With inputs from agencies)
