# First on CNN: Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, more than 30 injured | CNN Politics
Three US Army soldiers have been killed, and over 30 service members have been injured in a drone attack on a small US outpost in Jordan overnight, US officials have told CNN. This incident marks the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war.
President Joe Biden, speaking in South Carolina on Sunday, promised to retaliate to the attack. The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East. Officials stated that the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria. It is still being determined which militia group specifically is responsible.
US Central Command has confirmed in a statement on Sunday that three service members were killed and 25 were injured in a drone attack that “impacted at a base in northeast Jordan.” The drone hit in the vicinity of living quarters on the base, with 30 individuals injured. Eight injured service members were medically evacuated from the area, according to a US official.
Biden promised on Sunday to hold those responsible for the attack “to account,” stating that the attack was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq. He also asked for a moment of silence to honor the service members while speaking at a church in South Carolina later on Sunday.
As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria. It’s still unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began on October 17.
The Biden administration has faced criticism, primarily by Republicans, for not taking strong enough action against the Iran-backed groups for their attacks. Meanwhile, US officials have repeatedly stated that they do not want to see tensions boil over into a regional war amid the increasingly high tensions on multiple fronts in the region.
This incident comes as the US and Iraq are expected to begin talks about the future of the US military presence in the country.
