12:56 p.m. ET, January 28, 2024
First on CNN: 3 US troops killed and over 20 wounded in drone attack in Jordan, according to officials
From CNN’s Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann
Three members of the US Army lost their lives and at least two dozen service members sustained injuries in a drone attack on a small US outpost in Jordan. This marks the first instance of US troops being killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war.
The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan, near the border with Syria, represents a significant escalation of the already tenuous situation in the Middle East.
US Central Command later confirmed in a statement that three service members were killed and 25 injured in a drone attack that “impacted at a base in northeast Jordan.”
As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria. However, officials have characterized the consistent barrage of drones, rockets, and missiles as unsuccessful, as they have often failed to cause significant injury or infrastructure damage.
It remains unclear why air defenses were unable to intercept the drone. This incident appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began on October 17. US forces stationed at the outpost are there as part of an “advise and assist” mission with Jordan.
US officials have repeatedly expressed their desire to prevent the escalating tensions across the Middle East during Israel’s conflict with Hamas from spilling over into a regional war.
When questioned last week about whether the Pentagon believed that Iranian proxies were increasing their attacks on US forces, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated, “Not necessarily, no.”
This post has been updated with confirmation from US Central Command.
