Pentagon Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed in Drone Attack in Jordan
Shafaq News/ The Pentagon released the names of the three American service members who lost their lives in a drone attack on a base in northeast Jordan on Sunday.
In a press release, the U.S. Defense Department identified the deceased as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia.
The incident occurred on January 28, 2024, when "a one-way unmanned aerial system (OWUAS) impacted their container housing units," according to the Pentagon.
On Monday, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters that the attack appeared distinct from previous incidents due to its location and timing — targeting living quarters in the early morning. "People were actually in their beds when the drone impacted," she said.
Singh attributed the drone attack to Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-backed forces operating in Syria and Iraq, pointing to the "footprints" of Kataib Hezbollah. However, she clarified that a final assessment was not made, and U.S. forces would respond "at a time and place of their choosing."
The Defense Department has initiated an investigation into the attack.
According to the Department of Defense, the strike occurred at an outpost referred to as Tower 22, housing approximately 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel.
U.S. Central Command reported on Sunday night that at least 34 individuals were injured. However, Singh revised the number to over 40 on Monday.
The drone attack is believed to be the deadliest incident involving U.S. service members since 13 Americans were killed in a suicide bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
