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The Pentagon has identified the three U.S. soldiers who were killed in a drone strike in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan over the weekend.
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Here’s What We Know About The Soldiers That Were Killed
According to AP News, the Army Reserve engineer soldiers killed in the strike have been identified as 46-year-old Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 24-year-old Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and 23-year-old Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett.
The outlet adds that all three soldiers were from various cities in Georgia.
In a report published Tuesday, the outlet shed more light on the trio. Sanders and Moffet reportedly became friends after enlisting in the army, while Rivers joined the reserve after serving in Iraq.
Moffet had reportedly celebrated her birthday nine days before she was killed.
“I just hope and pray no other family has to go through this,” Francine Moffett, the soldier’s mother, told the outlet. “It takes your heart and your soul.”
Meanwhile, Sanders’ father reflected on her smile.
“She was loved. She didn’t have any enemies. All the time you saw her smiling,” Shawn Sanders explained. “This is somebody who was just living life, enjoying life at a young age, working toward a career.”
The outlet was unable to contact the family of Sgt. William Jerome Rivers.
More Details On The Jordan Drone Strike
According to a report published Monday by the outlet, an enemy drone left “unchallenged” entered a military desert base in Jordan over the weekend. The object was reportedly believed to be a U.S. drone.
As a result, the drone launched an attack on the base, mainly targeting a trailer of sleeping troops.
At least forty soldiers were reportedly wounded in the attack. Additionally, eight of those were medically evacuated, while five sustained “minor traumatic brain injuries.” However, they are expected to return to duty.
According to AP News, the Pentagon is “still assessing” whether the failure to shoot down the enemy drone was a “human error.”
President Biden’s Response Thus Far
Furthermore, the outlet reports that President Biden has vowed retaliatory action for the attack. The president’s administration reportedly believes the drone originated from Tehran, Iran.
“The president and I will not tolerate attacks on U.S. forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reportedly said at the Pentagon, per AP News.
However, the outlet does note that the incident adds another complex layer to an already tense environment in the Middle East with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
According to the outlet, President Biden is trying to keep the conflict from expanding into a “broader regional conflict.”
“We are not looking for a war with Iran,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, per AP News. “That said, this was a very serious attack. It had lethal consequences. We will respond, and we respond appropriately.”
AP News reports that Iran has denied involvement in the attack. Therefore, U.S. authorities will continue to investigate the drone’s origin.
Meanwhile, the family of Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett hopes “there’s no escalation in violence that kills more American troops.
