Columbia, January 28: Three American service members were killed and “many” were wounded in a drone strike in Jordan, President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday. He attributed the attack to Iran-backed militia groups. They were the first US fatalities in months of strikes against American forces across the Middle East by Iranian-backed militias amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, increasing the risk of escalation.

Biden said the United States “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.” There was no immediate reaction from Jordan, a kingdom bordering Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Iran Attacks Pakistan: Iranian Regime Claims it Launched Missile and Drone Attacks at 'Militant Bases' in Panjgur.

US troops long have used Jordan as a basing point. Some 3,000 American troops typically are stationed in Jordan. Since Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip began, US troops in Iraq and Syria have faced drone and missile attacks on their bases. The attack on Jordan marks the first targeting American troops in Jordan during the war. US Military Conducts Self-Defense Strikes on Two Facilities Linked to Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria.

Biden was briefed on the attack on Sunday morning, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.