US confirms 8 service members medically evacuated, 34 injured in Jordan attack

The “personnel that received injuries required evacuation from Jordan to higher level care”, CENTCOM said in a statement.

“The number of US personnel with injuries has increased to at least 34 service members, but we expect this number to fluctuate as service members continue to seek follow-on care.”.

CENTCOM added about 350 US Army and Air Force personnel are deployed to the base — called Tower 22 — “conducting a number of key support functions, including support to the coalition for the lasting defeat of Daesh”.

US officials say three US soldiers have been killed after “Iran-backed militants” launched a drone strike on a small US outpost in Jordan.

US President Joe Biden has vowed those responsible for the deaths of three US service members will be held accountable, and cast blame on Iran-backed militant groups.

“Today, America’s heart is heavy,” Biden said in a statement Sunday, adding, “Last night, three U.S. service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria 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,” Biden continued.

Biden vowed the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.” He called the three fallen service members “patriots”, praising their bravery and offering his grief, calling it a “despicable and wholly unjust attack”.