3 Dead, 34 American Service Members Hurt in Attack on Base in Jordan

By Hana Levi Julian, JEWISH PRESS                       28 January 2024

Jordan’s King Abdullah II

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Sunday that three American servicemembers were killed, and dozens of others were injured in a kamikaze drone strike on a base in northeast Jordan, near the border with Syria.

At least 34 service members are being evaluated for possible traumatic brain injury in the wake of the attack, according to sources in Washington.

“As a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with DoD policy, the identities of the service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified,” CENTCOM said.

The attack took place at “Tower 22” in Jordan, not far from the Al Tanf military outpost in southern Syria, near the Jordan-Syria-Iraq border.

“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.

“Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen — and Americans across the country — in grieving the loss of these warriors in this despicable and wholly unjust attack,” the president said.

“These service members embodied the very best of our nation: Unwavering in their bravery. Unflinching in their duty. Unbending in their commitment to our country — risking their own safety for the safety of their fellow Americans, and our allies and partners with whom we stand in the fight against terrorism.

“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 our choosing,” Biden added.

This is the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the region since October 7, 2023, when Gaza’s Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist organization launched its war against Israel. It represents a significant escalation in the region.

Iranian terrorist proxies have been launching attacks on Israel and its allies in the region since the start of the war.

On Friday, the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired an anti-ship ballistic missile that struck a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden carrying naphtha, a highly flammable liquid hydrogen mixture.

The MV Marlin Luanda is owned by Bermuda and was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands.

The attack started a blaze in one of the cargo holds of the vessel. Three ships – the USS Carney, the French Navy Frigate FS Alsace and Indian Navy Frigate INS Visakhapatnam – responded swiftly with critical firefighting material and personnel to help the civilian crew members.

The 22 Indian and 1 Bangladeshi crew members were not injured in the attack, and the ship remained seaworthy and returned to its route.

“Many thanks to our Combined Maritime Forces partners for their great teamwork at sea, averting a disaster that threatened lives and the seaworthiness of the ship and risked major environmental damage,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“These unlawful actions have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. Neither the vessel nor its crew have any affiliation to Israel. The Houthis have fired indiscriminately into the Red Sea, targeting vessels impacting over 40 countries around the world.”

January 29, 2024 | 6 Comments »

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  2. 47 American Servicemembers are now believed to have been Injured as a resulted of the One-Way “Suicide” Drone Attack by Iranian-Backed Forces this past weekend on the Tower 22 Patrol Base in Northeastern Jordan, with Injuries ranging from Cuts and Bruises to Burns and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs).

    OSINTdefender

  3. As long as the affected parties continue to close both eyes when looking for those responsible, this kind of attacks will continue unabated. There must be a very profitable political reason for this blindness.

  5. Unverified Reports earlier today that Russian and Syrian Forces had begun to Withdraw from Shayrat Airbase in Western Syria, a Base which has previously been used by the Iranian Air Force to Resupply their Militias in Syria and Lebanon.

    OSINTdefender

  6. The large drone struck a logistics support base in Jordan known as Tower 22. It is along the Syrian border and is used largely by troops involved in the advise-and-assist mission for Jordanian forces.

    Central Command said approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel were deployed to the base. The three who were killed and most of the wounded were Army soldiers, according to several U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to give details not yet made public.

    The small installation, which Jordan does not publicly disclose, includes U.S. engineering, aviation, logistics and security troops. Austin said the troops were deployed there “to work for the lasting defeat of ISIS.” Three officials said the drone struck near the troops’ sleeping quarters, which they said explained the high casualty count.

    The U.S. military base at al-Tanf in Syria is just 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Tower 22. The Jordanian installation provides a critical logistical hub for U.S. forces in Syria, including those at al-Tanf, which is near where the borders of Iraq, Syria and Jordan intersect.

    https://apnews.com/article/biden-american-service-members-killed-jordan-iran-5cb774fd835a558d840ae91263037489