Two US soldiers killed in Jordan attack

Washington: Two active-duty US Army soldiers supporting ‘Operation Inherent Resolve’ were killed following an enemy attack on an airbase in Jordan, the Department of War said Monday.

First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, died after the July 17 attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, according to a department statement.

Gonzales was killed in action on July 17, the day of the attack. Feehan was killed in action on July 18, the department said.

The Department of War did not identify the attackers or disclose how the assault was carried out. It also did not provide information about any other casualties or the extent of damage at the base.

“The incident is under investigation,” the department said.

Feehan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defence Artillery Regiment, part of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defence Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defence Artillery Regiment. Her unit is part of the 52nd Air Defence Artillery Brigade under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defence Command in Ansbach, Germany.

The soldiers served in air defence formations responsible for protecting troops, installations and other assets against aerial threats. The department did not disclose its specific duties at the Jordanian base or say how long it had been deployed there.

The announcement marked the first official identification of the soldiers killed in this attack. No further details about the circumstances of their deaths were released.

Muwaffaq Salti Air Base is a Jordanian military installation that has hosted US and allied forces supporting regional operations. Jordan has long been a US security partner and a member of the international coalition conducting operations against the Islamic State group.

IANS