Middle East
A US soldier (left) and an Iraqi soldier (right) speak with one another at al-Assad air base in western Iraq on December 21, 2021. Photo: US army
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government on Monday condemned a deadly attack on a military base housing United States troops in Jordan the day before and expressed concern about the recent regional escalation against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war.
A drone strike blamed on Iran-aligned militias on Sunday killed at least three US service members and injured 34 in an American military base in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border.
“The Iraqi government condemns the recent escalation, particularly the recent attack on the Syrian-Jordanian border,” government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi said in a statement.
“Iraq urges for an end to the cycle of violence and expresses its willingness to collaborate on establishing fundamental rules to prevent further repercussions in the region and curb the escalation of conflict,” he added.
US President Joe Biden on Sunday described the deadly strike as a "despicable and wholly unjust attack,” vowing that the US will hold the perpetrators responsible at a time and manner of its choosing.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Monday denied allegations that Tehran was behind the attack.
“These claims are made with specific political goals to reverse the realities of our region and also indicate that they are influenced by third parties,” he said.
Iran-affiliated militias have attacked bases of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria with rockets and drones over 140 times since October 17. US forces have responded with several retaliatory strikes, killing at least 12 militiamen in Iraq.
This is the first time US personnel have been directly killed by Iran-affiliated militia strikes since the start of the attacks. One civilian contractor died of a heart attack during a drone attack on Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq's Anbar province. Multiple “non-serious” injuries among the troops have also been reported.
A drone strike blamed on Iran-aligned militias on Sunday killed at least three US service members and injured 34 in an American military base in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border.
“The Iraqi government condemns the recent escalation, particularly the recent attack on the Syrian-Jordanian border,” government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi said in a statement.
“Iraq urges for an end to the cycle of violence and expresses its willingness to collaborate on establishing fundamental rules to prevent further repercussions in the region and curb the escalation of conflict,” he added.
US President Joe Biden on Sunday described the deadly strike as a "despicable and wholly unjust attack,” vowing that the US will hold the perpetrators responsible at a time and manner of its choosing.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Monday denied allegations that Tehran was behind the attack.
“These claims are made with specific political goals to reverse the realities of our region and also indicate that they are influenced by third parties,” he said.
Iran-affiliated militias have attacked bases of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria with rockets and drones over 140 times since October 17. US forces have responded with several retaliatory strikes, killing at least 12 militiamen in Iraq.
This is the first time US personnel have been directly killed by Iran-affiliated militia strikes since the start of the attacks. One civilian contractor died of a heart attack during a drone attack on Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq's Anbar province. Multiple “non-serious” injuries among the troops have also been reported.
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