Three U.S. troops killed in drone attack in Jordan, at least two dozen injured: CNN

Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed and at least two dozen service members were injured in a drone attack overnight on a small U.S. outpost in Jordan, U.S. officials told CNN, marking the first time U.S. troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war

Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed and at least two dozen service members were injured in a drone attack overnight on a small U.S. outpost in Jordan, U.S. officials told CNN, marking the first time U.S. troops have been 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 is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East. Officials said the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria.

U.S. Central Command confirmed in a statement on Sunday that three service members were killed and 25 injured in a one-way drone attack that “impacted at a base in northeast Jordan.”

As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, though officials have described the constant volley of drones, rockets, and missiles as unsuccessful as they have frequently not caused serious injury or damage to infrastructure.

It’s unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on U.S. and coalition forces began on October 17. U.S. forces at the outpost are there as part of an advise-and-assist mission with Jordan.

U.S. officials have repeatedly said they do not want to see the increasingly high tensions across the Middle East broaden into a regional war. Asked last week whether the Pentagon assessed that Iranian proxies were stepping up their attacks on U.S. forces, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, “Not necessarily, no.”

In a previously recorded interview with ABC News that aired Sunday morning, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said part of the U.S.’ work is to “make sure as things have happened in the Middle East is not to have the conflict broaden.”