Two U.S. service members were killed Friday while defending against an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack in Jordan, and another service member is missing, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
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CENTCOM said the troops were killed in action on July 17 as U.S. and partner forces responded to the attack. It did not specify where in Jordan the attack occurred or provide additional details about the circumstances.
Four other American service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged, CENTCOM said. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.
CENTCOM said it was withholding the identities of the two service members killed until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
The attack comes as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran has intensified following the collapse of an interim ceasefire. The two countries have traded daily strikes over the past week, with Iran launching ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. military positions and American allies across the region, including Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, while U.S. forces have carried out repeated strikes on Iranian military targets.
Jordan said Saturday that its forces intercepted Iranian missiles and drones that Tehran said were aimed at an American military bases in the country. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed at least two U.S. fighter jets were destroyed in the attack, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency. NBC News has not independently verified that claim.
