CNN
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The drone that killed three US Army soldiers and wounded dozens extra in Jordan on Sunday approached the US army outpost, Tower 22, across the identical time an American drone was returning to the bottom, which led to uncertainty over whether or not it was hostile and prompted a delay to the US response, two US officers advised CNN.
The enemy drone adopted the American drone because it approached, however it isn’t clear whether or not the enemy drone deliberately adopted the American one or if it was a coincidence, one of many officers stated. US officers are additionally nonetheless assessing the enemy drone’s level of origin.
The Wall Avenue Journal first reported the confusion over the enemy drone.
The three US troopers killed within the assault had been recognized Monday as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia, in line with the Protection Division.
They had been all assigned to the 718th Engineer Firm, a US Military Reserve unit based mostly out of Fort Moore, Georgia, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated at a briefing.
Singh stated greater than 40 had been injured within the assault, a quantity that would probably proceed to extend.
Singh stated on Monday that eight personnel who had been medically evacuated had been taken to Baghdad Diplomatic Assist Middle. Three of these service members can be transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Middle for follow-on care and the opposite 5 are anticipated to return to responsibility after being assessed for gentle traumatic mind accidents. A US official beforehand advised CNN that every one eight had been evacuated to Landstuhl.
The assault on Sunday marked a major escalation after roughly 165 assaults on US and coalition forces since October 17, additional elevating issues over a broader battle breaking out within the Center East whereas the US and its allies navigate rising tensions on a number of fronts. A US official advised CNN that there have been six assaults since Friday, together with Sunday’s drone assault and a multi-rocket assault on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning.
Whereas Iran-backed militia teams have launched steady assaults on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria — resulting in one serious injury and dozens of others that officers have described as pretty minor — the US has additionally been taking motion towards the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen for his or her assaults on business transport. In the meantime, Israel is continuous its marketing campaign in Gaza towards Hamas, and launching assaults on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the lethal drone assault, although the US continues to be working to find out which group particularly is accountable. Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby advised CNN’s Phil Mattingly on Monday that the White Home believes “the group was supported by Kataib Hezbollah, which is without doubt one of the essential IRGC Revolutionary Guard-core backed teams in Iraq and Syria.”
“This one had deadly penalties in ways in which earlier ones didn’t,” Kirby stated, “however that doesn’t imply that the intent of the earlier assaults weren’t additionally deadly, it’s simply that we had been in a position to defeat them.”
The US has already struck websites in Iraq related to the group in current weeks, and earlier this month targeted a member of the group {that a} US official stated had “US blood on his fingers.”
On Monday morning forward of a gathering on the Pentagon with NATO Secretary Common Jens Stoltenberg, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his “outrage and sorrow” over the deaths of the three American troops.
“Let me begin with my outrage and sorrow for the demise of three courageous US troops in Jordan, and for the opposite troops who had been wounded,” Austin stated. “The President and I can’t tolerate assaults on US forces, and we are going to take all crucial actions to defend the US and our troops.”
Austin was again on the Pentagon for the primary time since his process on December 22 to deal with prostate most cancers, and his subsequent hospitalization in early January. He stated Monday that he feels “good” and is “recovering properly, however nonetheless recovering.”
Stoltenberg adopted Austin’s remarks additionally expressing his condolences for the lack of the three US troopers, and people who had been wounded.
“[T]his demonstrates as soon as once more the danger that servicemen are uncovered to and so they arise for our values and participate in missions, operations the place we defend freedom and the values all of us consider in,” Stoltenberg stated.
Republicans in Congress have demanded stronger motion by the Biden administration in response to the demise of US troopers, with some calling for direct assaults inside Tehran.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Companies Committee, referred to as for motion “immediately towards Iranian targets and its management” in a press release on Sunday. Sen. Tom Cotton, who additionally sits on SASC, stated that the “solely reply to those assaults have to be devastating retaliation towards Iran’s terrorist forces, each in Iran and throughout the Center East.”
Kirby stated Monday that Biden is “working his means by” the choices forward of him.
This story has been up to date with further info.