'Multiple' Arizona National Guard troops injured in drone strike that killed 3 in Jordan

"Multiple" Arizona National Guard troops were wounded in a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops and injured dozens of others Sunday in northeast Jordan near the Syria border, according to a spokesperson for the unit.

Three Arizona Guard troops were being medically evacuated for further care but were expected to recover.

The U.S. Department of Defense on Monday identified the three soldiers killed as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Georgia; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders of Waycross, Georgia; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett of Savannah, Georgia. They were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade with Fort Moore, Georgia.

The agency said more than 40 service members were injured in the attack but didn't specify how many were with the Arizona National Guard.

Capt. Erin Hannigan, an Arizona National Guard spokesperson, said the Arizona service members were deployed in September 2023 as part of Operation Spartan Shield to provide "law and order and personal security capabilities" for roughly one year.

On Monday evening, Hannigan issued an update saying multiple troops with the Arizona National Guard 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, Bushmasters were injured. Three were medically evacuated for further care but were expected to recover.

"Facts of this attack are still being collected, and it is unknown at this time how many Arizona service members were impacted," Hannigan said in a statement.

"In accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the injured service members will be withheld."

Maj. Gen. Kerry L. Muehlenbeck, Arizona National Guard Adjutant General, said in a statement, “Our priority is to the soldiers and their families. What impacts them, impacts us all. We continue to gather information, please keep them in your prayers.”

Hannigan said the Arizona National Guard would provide updates as information became available.

Gov. Katie Hobbs posted a comment on X, formerly known as Twitter, lamenting those injured in the attack.

"I am heartbroken to hear reports of the Arizona National Guardsmen wounded in action during the attack in Jordan," Hobbs stated. "I’m actively monitoring the situation and my administration is in contact with AZ NG Adjutant General Muehlenbeck. We are ready to offer support for the Guardsmen and their families, and will be prepared to take action as the situation develops."

Hobbs said during an afternoon news conference, which focused on her plan to renew a school funding measure known as Proposition 123, that she could not comment on the status of Arizona Guard members. "I'm not able to say anything at this point. We have very preliminary information that I'm not at liberty to share," she said.

Hobbs added that she was being briefed "on a very regular basis" by Guard officials.

Hannigan referred to information from the White House that radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq were behind the attack.

Top U.S. and NATO officials on Monday dismissed Iran's claims that it had no role in the weekend drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan that killed three Americans and threatened to fuel expansion of the Israeli-Hamas war.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, shared his condolences to the injured Guardsmen as well.

"I am devastated to hear that Arizona National Guardsmen are among those injured in the drone strike in Jordan," Gallego posted on X. "My thoughts are with the Guardsmen and their families as they recover. My office is reaching out to the Guard for info. We stand ready to assist however we can."

Gallego also decried the drone attack and called for a response.

"The attack carried out by Iranian-backed militants is a heinous escalation, and it must not go unpunished," Gallego said. "We cannot stand idle to terrorism. I am committed to providing the administration the needed resources to protect our troops in the region and hold Iran accountable."

Sen. Mark Kelly, who sits on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, posted a statement on X on Sunday also condemning the attack.

"Three servicemembers made the ultimate sacrifice and 25 more were injured in service of our country," Kelly posted while quote-tweeting a story by the New York Times. "I’m thinking of them and their loved ones. This attack is a dangerous escalation by Iran’s proxies. Those responsible must be held accountable."

Kelly later posted to X on Tuesday sharing that he and his wife, Gabby Giffords, had the injured troops in their thoughts.

"Gabby and I are thinking about our Arizona National Guard members who were injured over the weekend and wishing them a full and swift recovery," Kelly wrote. "Our team is in touch with Arizona National Guard leadership and have offered any assistance they need."

The Associated Press reported that the drone may have been mistakenly identified as an American drone returning to the U.S. installation, according to two U.S. officials who weren't authorized to comment and requested anonymity.

The officials say preliminary information suggests the enemy drone that struck the installation known as Tower 22 may have been mistaken for an American drone that was in the air at the same time. The officials add that as the enemy drone was flying in at a low altitude, a U.S. drone was returning to base. As a result, there was no effort to shoot down the enemy drone.

Reaction: Iran-linked drone strike that killed US troops highlights military vulnerability overseas

Officials said that of the 34 wounded troops, most had cuts, bruises, traumatic brain injuries and similar wounds. Eight were medically evacuated and the most seriously hurt service member was in critical but stable condition.

An explanation for how the enemy drone evaded U.S. air defenses on the installation came as the White House said Monday it's not looking for war with Iran even as President Joe Biden vows retaliatory action.

The brazen attack, which the Biden administration blames on Iranian-based proxies, adds another layer of complexity to an already tense Mideast situation as the Biden administration tries to keep the Israel-Hamas war from expanding into a broader regional conflict.

"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 said Monday as he met at the Pentagon with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated a day after Biden promised to "hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing" that the U.S. administration wasn't seeking to get into another conflict in the Middle East.

"We are not looking for a war with Iran. We are not looking to escalate the tensions any more than they already have been escalating," Kirby told reporters. "That said, this was a very serious attack. It had lethal consequences. We will respond, and we respond appropriately."

Kirby said that U.S. officials are still working through determining which militant group was behind the attack. He noted that Iran has long equipped and trained the militias.

Iraq's government condemned the drone strike in an apparent effort to distance itself from an attack likely carried out by the Iranian-backed militias that have a strong presence inside Iraq.

Government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement on Monday that Iraq is "monitoring with a great concern the alarming security developments in the region" and called for "an end to the cycle of violence." The statement said that Iraq is ready to participate in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ National Guard troops injured in drone strike that killed 3