Editorial pack · DroneLedger
Three US service members killed in one-way drone attack on Tower 22 outpost in northeast Jordan
Current state
On 28 January 2024 a one-way attack drone struck a US logistics outpost known as Tower 22 in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border. US Central Command said three US service members were killed and at least 34 were injured. It was the first attack on US forces in Jordan since the Israel-Hamas war began and the first in the region to kill US troops since then.
Evidence states
| Drone presence | confirmed · sources [2], [3] |
|---|---|
| Impact | confirmed · sources [1], [2], [3] |
| Attribution | claimed · sources [1], [3] |
CENTCOM said three US service members were killed and at least 34 injured, with eight evacuated from Jordan in stable condition; about 350 US Army and Air Force personnel were deployed at the base. Jordan's government said none of its own troops were hurt.
CENTCOM described a one-way attack UAS that impacted the base, and Jordan's government spokesperson said the attack was carried out by a drone. Reporting says it is unclear why air defences did not intercept the drone. The outpost is not publicly disclosed by Jordan.
Claims
3 sources · 4 original statements. Sources that repeat the same statement count once.
| Claim and source passage | Original source | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| US Central Command said three service members were killed by a one-way attack UAS that impacted a base in northeast Jordan. “On Jan. 28, three U.S. service members were killed, and multiple personnel were injured from a one-way attack UAS that impacted on a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border.” [2] | US Central Command (relayed) | supports: Official statement as reproduced by The War Zone; the basis for the confirmed drone status together with Jordan's statement. |
| CENTCOM raised the number of injured personnel to at least 34 and said it expected the figure to fluctuate. “the number of U.S. personnel with injuries has increased to at least 34 service members, but we expect this number to fluctuate as service members continue to seek follow-on care” [2] | US Central Command (relayed) | supports: Updated official figure; an earlier report said 25 injured. |
| Jordan's government spokesperson expressed condolences over victims of an attack carried out by a drone. “expressed Jordan’s condolences to the United States over the victims of the attack, which was carried out by a drone, and wished the injured a speedy recovery” [2] | Jordanian government spokesperson (relayed) | supports: A second government, not directly party to the militia campaign, confirming the weapon type. |
| Task & Purpose reports that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed credit for the attack. “Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose network of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias opposed to the United States, claimed credit for the attack.” [1] | Islamic Resistance in Iraq (relayed) | supports: A claim by the group as reported by Task & Purpose. The War Zone quotes a statement by the group that lists other targets, so the claim for Tower 22 rests on this report. |
| The US president said the attack was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq. “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.” [1] | US President (relayed) | supports: Names a category of groups, not a specific group; the US had not outright accused a specific group at the time. |
Not established
Which group launched the drone and from where, and why it was not intercepted. The injury figure was expected to fluctuate as personnel received follow-on care.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, claimed credit for the attack, according to Task & Purpose; The War Zone reports the group said it attacked other US bases in Syria and an Israeli naval facility, without naming Tower 22 in the statement it quotes. The US president said the attack was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq and did not name a specific group.
Chronology
- 28 Jan 2024: A one-way attack drone struck the Tower 22 base; CENTCOM later said three US service members were killed and at least 34 injured. [2]
- 28 Jan 2024: The US president blamed Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq and said the US would respond; Jordan said none of its personnel were wounded. [1]
Sources
- Task & Purpose: Drone attack kills 3 US troops in Jordan (2024-01-28, source family: us-central-command)
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/3-us-troops-killed-jordan-drone-attack-tower-22/ - The War Zone: Drone Attack In Jordan Kills Three American Troops (2024-01-28, source family: us-central-command)
https://www.twz.com/drone-attack-in-jordan-kills-3-american-troops - Air Force Times: Three US troops killed, dozens injured in drone attack in Jordan (2024-01-28, source family: us-central-command)
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2024/01/28/three-us-troops-killed-25-injured-in-drone-attack-on-base-in-jordan/
How to cite
DroneLedger. “Three US service members killed in one-way drone attack on Tower 22 outpost in northeast Jordan.” Dossier tower-22-jordan-2024-01-28, revision 1, updated 12 Oct 2026. https://droneincidents.com/incident/tower-22-jordan-2024-01-28/v1/
Editorial changes
- Revision 1 (2026-10-12): Curated dossier created after checking the cited sources line by line.
Evidence states: confirmed = established by the cited evidence; reported = stated by a source, not independently established; inconclusive; debunked; unknown. A claim by a party to a conflict remains a claim. Methodology: https://droneincidents.com/methodology/