The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for several Iran-backed militias in the country, said it attacked a number of places along the Jordan-Syria border Sunday — including a camp near the US base in Jordan where soldiers were killed today.
The camp, Al-Rukban, is in close proximity to Tower 22, where the US announced three service members were killed in a drone attack.
The Islamic Resistance’s statement, posted to its Telegram channel, came earlier today — before the US announced the death of its service members.
The organization’s forces launched drone attacks at dawn Sunday as part of its efforts to “resist the American occupation forces in Iraq” and in response to Israel’s “massacres against our people in Gaza,” it said in a statement.
The attacks targeted four bases, three of which are in Syria, the group said.
What the US has said: US officials have said the drone that killed the US service members at Tower 22 was launched by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria.
The US government has not yet named a specific militia they hold responsible, however. A US official told CNN earlier Sunday that is still being determined.
More from the Jordanian government: The communications minister for the Jordanian government said the attack that killed the US soldiers targeted an “advanced position on the border with Syria” and that no Jordanian border guard forces were hurt.
The minister, Muhannad Moubaideen, described the strike as a “terrorist attack” and vowed to confront the threat of terrorism. While condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza, Jordanian officials have often expressed concern about the potentially widening war in the Middle East.
Jordan is a key partner to the US in the region and receives substantial amounts of aid through the relationship.
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Jomana Karadsheh and Mitchell McCluskey contributed reporting to this post.
Source link: https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-01-28-24/index.html