Joe Biden says US ‘shall respond’ after drone strike by Iran-backed group kills 3 US troops in Jordan

Columbia (US), January 29

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President Joe Biden said on Sunday that the US “shall respond” after three American troops were killed and dozens more were injured in an overnight drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border.

Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the first US fatalities after months of strikes by such groups against American forces across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Biden, who was travelling in South Carolina, asked for a moment of silence during an appearance at a Baptist church’s banquet hall.

“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” he said. After the moment of silence, Biden added, “And we shall respond.”

With an increasing risk of military escalation in the region, US officials were working to conclusively identify the precise group responsible for the attack, but they have assessed that one of several Iranian-backed groups was behind it.

Biden said in a written statement that the United States “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing”.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops and our interests.”