In a formal announcement on Wednesday, the White House identified the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of militants, as responsible for the recent drone strike in Jordan that claimed the lives of three American service members.
This marks the first official attribution of blame for the incident.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated, "We believe that the attack in Jordan was planned, resourced, and facilitated by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which contains multiple groups, including Kata’ib Hezbollah."
While Kata’ib Hezbollah was not solely held responsible, Kirby noted that the group had characteristics consistent with past attacks on U.S. bases.
The attack in Jordan, the most serious among numerous incidents targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East since October 7, has resulted in the first direct casualties of American troops in the region since that time.
The three servicemembers killed were identified as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Sgt. Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia. Sanders and Moffett were posthumously promoted from the rank of specialist to sergeant, as announced by the Army Reserve.
President Biden personally spoke with the families of the fallen servicemembers on Tuesday and is expected to attend a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Friday.
In addition to the tragic loss of three lives, more than 40 U.S. troops sustained injuries in the attack. Three of the injured troops have been transferred to a hospital in Germany for further treatment. While all three are reported to be in stable condition, one is currently in critical condition.
