As international tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, three American troops have been killed.

From CNN. The three US soldiers killed in the drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan were identified Monday as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia, according to the Defense Department.

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They were all assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a US Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a briefing.

More than 40 were injured in the attack, according to Singh, a number that could possibly increase. The drone hit a housing facility on the base where many service members were asleep in the early morning hours, leading to the high number of casualties, she said.

Singh said Monday that eight personnel who were medically evacuated were taken to Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center. Three of those service members will be transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for follow-on care and the other five are expected to return to duty after being assessed for mild traumatic brain injuries. …

The drone approached the US military outpost, Tower 22, around the same time an American drone was returning to the base, which led to uncertainty over whether it was hostile and caused a delay to the US response, two US officials told CNN. …

The attack on Sunday marked a significant escalation after roughly 165 attacks on US and coalition forces since October 17, further raising concerns over a broader conflict breaking out in the Middle East while the US and its allies navigate rising tensions on multiple fronts. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning.

While Iran-backed militia groups have launched continuous attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria — leading to one serious injury and dozens of others that officials have described as fairly minor — the US has also been taking action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen for their attacks on commercial shipping. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its campaign in Gaza against Hamas, and launching attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN’s Phil Mattingly on Monday that the White House believes “the group was supported by Kataib Hezbollah, which is one of the main IRGC Revolutionary Guard-core backed groups in Iraq and Syria.” …

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(Excerpt from CNN. Photo Credit: israel palacio on Unsplash)