WASHINGTON (AP) – According to officials on Monday, it’s possible that American forces mistook an enemy drone for a domestic one and allowed it to enter a Jordanian desert outpost unopposed, killing three American soldiers and wounding numerous more.
Information of the incident on Sunday surfaced as President Joe Biden attempted to find a balance between condemning Iran and seeking to retaliate forcefully without inflaming the situation in Gaza.
A U.S. drone was returning to the small installation known as Tower 22 when the enemy drone flew in at a low altitude, according to a preliminary account quoted by two officials who insisted on being anonymous and were not authorized to talk.
So when the hostile drone struck the outpost, there was no attempt to bring it down. While other trailers only suffered minor damage from the explosion and flying debris, the trailer housing the sleeping troops took the brunt of the hit. Although Tower 22 lacks substantial air defense systems, the facility does feature counter-drone systems, namely Coyote drone interceptors.
The majority of the over 40 soldiers injured in the attack had cuts, bruises, brain injuries, and other similar wounds, according to the Pentagon, in addition to the soldiers who were slain. Three of the eight people who needed medical evacuation were headed to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. It was anticipated that the remaining five, who sustained “minor traumatic brain injuries,” would resume their duties.