Tower 22 drone attack
| Tower 22 drone attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, Jordan, and Syria (2023–present) and the Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present) | |
| Location | 33°18′51″N 38°42′12″E / 33.31417°N 38.70333°E |
| Target | Tower 22 U.S. military base |
| Date | 28 January 2024 |
| Executed by | Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, Islamic Resistance in Iraq |
| Casualties | 3 U.S. soldiers killed and 47 wounded |
On 28 January 2024, an attack drone, launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq—an Iranian-backed Shia militia group—struck Tower 22, a U.S. military outpost in Rukban, northeast Jordan. The explosion killed three U.S. soldiers and injured 47 others.
The incident marked the first time U.S. troops were killed by enemy fire since the start of the Gaza war. President Joe Biden condemned the attack as "despicable" and pledged retaliation at a suitable time. The U.S. began retaliatory strikes on 2 February, hitting sites in Iraq and Syria. Iran denied any involvement in the attack.