Tower 22 drone attack facts for kids

On January 28, 2024, a special type of drone attacked Tower 22. This is a U.S. military base in northeast Jordan. The drone was launched by a group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has ties to Iran.

The attack caused the deaths of three U.S. soldiers. It also injured 47 other soldiers. This was the first time U.S. troops were killed by enemy action since the Israel–Hamas war began. U.S. President Joe Biden called the attack "terrible." He promised that the U.S. would respond. On February 2, the U.S. started striking back in Iraq and Syria. Iran said it was not involved in the attack.

What Happened Before

Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, groups supported by Iran have launched many attacks. They have fired missiles and rockets at U.S. and allied forces in the Middle East over 160 times.

About 70 U.S. and allied soldiers had been hurt in these earlier attacks. Most of these injuries were not serious. Sometimes, the attacks missed their targets or the rockets were shot down. The U.S. had only responded to these incidents eight times before.

Around 3,000 U.S. troops are currently in Jordan. The U.S. military has used the Tower 22 base since 2015. It was first a Jordanian border outpost. The U.S. used it to train rebels fighting the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Later, it helped Kurdish fighters against the Islamic State.

Tower 22 is home to American engineers, pilots, and security staff. It is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Al-Tanf base in Syria. At Al-Tanf, U.S. and local forces work together to fight the Islamic State. In 2020, Tower 22 had a special radar system to find aircraft. When the attack happened, about 350 U.S. Army and Air Force people were at Tower 22. This included soldiers from the Arizona National Guard and other states.

The Attack

An exploding drone hit the living areas of the base. Three American service members were sleeping in tents when they were killed. They were from the 718th Engineer Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit. The soldiers killed were Sgt. William Rivers (46), Specialist Kennedy Sanders (24), and Specialist Breonna Moffett (23). All three were from Georgia.

At least 47 other soldiers were injured. Eight of them needed to be moved out of Jordan for medical care. Three of these eight went to a hospital in Germany for more treatment. Doctors checked U.S. personnel for possible traumatic brain injury. Most of the injured soldiers were from the U.S. National Guard units in Arizona, California, Kentucky, and New York. By January 31, at least 27 soldiers were able to return to duty.

A big question after the attack was why the base's air defense systems did not stop the drone. A first report found that the enemy drone attacked at the same time a U.S. surveillance drone was returning to the base. This may have caused confusion. It might have made it harder to tell if the drone was a friend or an enemy. This likely delayed the response.

Who Was Responsible?

After the attack, U.S. officials believed that one of several groups supported by Iran had launched the drone. They did not name a specific group at first. A U.S. official said a Shahed drone was used. A spokesperson for the US Department of Defense said the attack had the "footprints" of Kata'ib Hezbollah.

Later that day, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq group said they were responsible. This group is a collection of Iranian-backed groups. They claimed they had attacked an Israeli oil site and three U.S. military bases in Syria. These bases were Shaddadi, Tanf, and Rukban. Rukban is on the Jordanian side of the border with Syria. However, the U.S. said the attack on Tower 22 was the only one on its forces that day. Two other enemy drones, aimed at sites in southeast Syria, were shot down. The U.S. officially blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq for the attack on January 31.

On June 17, 2024, the U.S. Department of State named Ansar Allah al-Awfiya as a terrorist group. This was because of their part in the Tower 22 attack.

What Happened Next

The bodies of the soldiers who died were brought back to the United States on February 2. A special ceremony was held when they arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown Jr. were there. The families of the soldiers also attended. Tributes were paid in the soldiers' hometowns. Their funerals were held from February 13 to 17. One soldier was buried at the Georgia National Cemetery.

After the attack, fighters supported by Iran in eastern Syria began leaving their posts. They were worried about the U.S. striking back. This was reported by Omar Abu Layla, a media expert.

Reactions to the Attack

United States

Right after the attack, U.S. President Joe Biden called it "despicable." He promised that the U.S. "will hold all those responsible to account." U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the U.S. would "take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests."

Jack Reed, a Democratic leader in the Senate, said he was sure the Biden Administration would respond carefully. Some Republican senators, like John Cornyn and Lindsey Graham, wanted the White House to attack Iran directly. Former CIA director John Brennan said the attack was a "dangerous escalation."

The governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, expressed sadness for the "unacceptable loss of life" of the three soldiers. He said they "gave the last full measure of devotion." Brigadier General Todd Lazaroski said they "represent the best of America." Flags were lowered to half-mast in Waycross, where one soldier lived. Lieutenant General Jody Daniels also honored the soldiers and promised to support their families.

Middle East

A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said the attack was a message to the U.S. He warned that if the killing in Gaza did not stop, the conflict could spread. Kata'ib Hezbollah said it would stop military actions against U.S. forces. This was to avoid problems for the Iraqi government.

Iran said it was not involved in the attack. But it said that "resistance groups" in the region were responding to "war crimes" by Israel. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned that Iran would respond to any U.S. threats.

Jordan condemned the attack. It said it was working with the U.S. to secure its borders. However, a Jordanian spokesperson said the attack happened outside Jordan, in Syria's al-Tanf base.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack. It showed support for Jordan and said it was against all acts of terrorism. It also stressed the need to fight violence to keep the region safe.

Bahrain also condemned the attack.

Iraq condemned the attack too. It called it an "ongoing escalation." Iraq said it was ready to work together to prevent more problems and a wider conflict.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz sent his condolences to the families of the soldiers who died. He wished a quick recovery for the injured.

Qatar warned that a U.S. response might put a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal at risk.

The Syrian Democratic Forces commander, Mazloum Abdi, condemned the attack. He said his group was against violence and any attempt to disturb peace in the region.

Other Countries

The United Kingdom "absolutely condemned" the attack. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was worried about tensions in the region. He urged Iran to calm things down. Foreign Secretary David Cameron also asked Iran to "de-escalate."

See also

• 2024 Erbil attack
• Jordan–United States relations
• List of wars involving the United States
• United States support for Israel in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• Rukban and Rukban refugee camp
• Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian civil war
• Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)