A drone strike targeting a base in Jordan on Sunday (Jan 28) claimed the lives of three US troops.
After the attack, United States President Joe Biden condemned the Iran-backed militant groups and vowed 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 the 25 people 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.
‘Strikes against Houthis to continue,’ says Biden
Earlier, Biden had said that the military strikes against the Houthis would continue as he said that the rebel group was still attacking vessels in the Red Sea.
“When you say ‘working, are they stopping the Houthi?’ No. Are they going to continue? Yes,” Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if the strikes were working.
Washington re-designated the Houthis as a “terrorist group” on Jan 17 and hit 14 Houthi missiles later the same day.
(With inputs from agencies)
