What Is Tower 22, The Military Base That Was Attacked In Jordan Where 3 US Troops Were Killed?

JERUSALEM — A little-known US military desert station in northeastern Jordan has gained international notice after a drone strike killed three American servicemen and injured at least 34 more.

Tower 22 is located near the demilitarized zone on the  Syria border, along a sandy, bulldozed berm that marks the southern perimeter of the DMZ. The Iraqi border is just 10 km (6 miles) distant.

The area is known as Rukban, a huge barren territory where a refugee camp erupted on the Syrian side following the formation of the Islamic State group’s so-called caliphate in 2014.

What Is Tower 22, The Military Base That Was Attacked In Jordan Where 3 US Troops Were Killed?

Over 100,000 people lived there at its peak, but Jordan prevented them from entering the kingdom due to worries about terrorist infiltration. These fears arose following a 2016 vehicle bomb incident that killed seven Jordanian border officers.

United Nations estimates that the camp has shrunk to around 7,500 people over time due to a lack of supplies reaching it.

The base originated as a Jordanian border outpost, but the US reinforced its presence there after entering Syria in late 2015. The modest site is home to approximately 350 US Army and Air Force personnel in engineering, aviation, logistical, and security roles.

The base’s location provides an opportunity for American personnel to penetrate and covertly leave Syria. A tiny American outpost at al-Tanf, Syria, located only 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Tower 22. That outpost is located along a Syrian route that leads into Iraq and, ultimately, Mosul, a former Islamic State stronghold. It also serves as a potential corridor for Iranian weapons shipments.

What Is Tower 22, The Military Base That Was Attacked In Jordan Where 3 US Troops Were Killed?

Jordan, a country bordering Iraq, Israel, Palestinian territories in the West Bank, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, has long served as a base for US soldiers. Approximately 3,000 American troops are typically stationed across Jordan.

However, the US presence in Jordan risks inciting a population that has already staged enormous protests against Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, citing civilian losses in a battle that has now killed over 26,000 Palestinians. According to estimates, approximately 3 million of Jordan’s 11.5 million population is Palestinian.

What Is Tower 22, The Military Base That Was Attacked In Jordan Where 3 US Troops Were Killed?

Widespread unrest might jeopardize the government of King Abdullah II, a crucial American ally. Jordan originally disputed that the Tower 22 base existed within its borders following the bombing on Sunday.

SOURCE – (AP)