Biden,who was travelling in South Carolina,asked for a moment of silence during an appearance at a Baptist church’s banquet hall.
“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” he said. After the moment of silence,Biden added,“and we shall respond”.
With an increasing risk of military escalation in the region,US officials were working to conclusively identify the precise group responsible for the attack,but they have assessed that one of several Iranian-backed groups was behind it.
Biden said in a written statement that the United States “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner[of] our choosing”. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said “we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States,our troops,and our interests”.
Iran-backed fighters in east Syria began evacuating their posts,fearing US airstrikes,according to Omar Abu Layla,a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet.
According to a US official,the number of troops injured by the one-way attack drone rose to at least 34. Another official,who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public,said a large drone struck the base,which two other American officials identified as an installation in Jordan known as Tower 22. It is along the Syrian border and is used largely by troops involved in the advise-and-assist mission for Jordanian forces.