UAV attacks US base in Jordan, causing dozens of casualties

Mr Biden blamed militant groups in Syria and Iraq for the attack, the first deadly attack against US forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and sparked a wave of armed violence across the Middle East.

Satellite image of the US military outpost known as Tower 22 in Rukban, Rwaished, Jordan. Photo: Planet Labs PBC

“While we are still gathering facts about this attack, we know it was carried out by Iranian-backed extremist groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden said in a statement.

“Let there be no doubt — we will hold all those responsible accountable at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” Mr Biden said. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin echoed that threat, adding that he and other senior officials had briefed Mr Biden earlier in the day about the attack.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 34 personnel had been assessed for possible traumatic brain injuries. Two separate officials said some of the injured US soldiers had been evacuated from the base for further treatment.

Two US officials said the drone strike occurred near the barracks in the early morning, which explains the high casualty count.

The location of Tower 22 base on a map shows it is located near the Jordanian border with Syria. Graphic photo: Reuters

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization of extremist militant groups, claimed attacks on three bases, including one on the Jordan-Syria border.

The attack was a major escalation in an already tense situation in the Middle East, where fighting broke out in Gaza following an October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Since then, US forces have been attacked more than 150 times by insurgent groups in Iraq and Syria, causing at least 70 casualties before Sunday's attack, but no deaths.

Although the US has so far maintained its official stance that it is not involved in the region, it has retaliated against rebel groups in Iraq and Syria, notably launching a series of airstrikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen, after the group attacked ships in the Red Sea.

The US military said the attack occurred at a military base in northeastern Jordan, near the Syrian border. They did not name the base, but a person familiar with the matter identified it as Tower 22 in Jordan.

The Jordanian government has said only that the attack occurred at an “outpost” along its border with Syria. Late last year, Jordan also asked the United States to deploy Patriot air defense systems to bolster its border defenses.

Jordan has also asked for more aid to tackle drones used in a multi-billion-dollar drug war raging along its border with Syria, which Jordan blames on militias controlling the south of Syria.

Jordan hosts hundreds of American troops and experts, and regularly holds major military exercises with the US military every year.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/uav-tan-cong-tien-don-my-o-jordan-gay-ra-hang-chuc-thuong-vong-post282828.html