Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jul 20: Two active-duty US Army personnel deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve were killed following an enemy attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, the US Department of War announced on Monday.
The fallen soldiers were identified as First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.
According to the department, Gonzales was killed during the attack on July 17, while Feehan succumbed to injuries the following day, July 18.
The Department of War did not disclose the identity of those responsible for the attack or provide details on how the assault was carried out. It also withheld information regarding any additional casualties or the extent of damage caused at the military installation.
Officials said the incident remains under investigation.
First Lieutenant Feehan served with the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defence Artillery Regiment, a unit under the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defence Command based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Private Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defence Artillery Regiment, which operates under the 52nd Air Defence Artillery Brigade of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defence Command headquartered in Ansbach, Germany.
Both soldiers were part of specialised air defence units tasked with protecting military personnel, installations and critical assets from aerial threats. However, the department did not reveal their specific responsibilities at the Jordanian base or the duration of their deployment.
The announcement marked the first official confirmation of the identities of the two soldiers killed in the attack. No additional information about the circumstances surrounding their deaths has been released.
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key Jordanian military facility, hosts US and allied forces participating in regional security operations under Operation Inherent Resolve. Jordan remains one of Washington's longstanding security partners and a member of the international coalition conducting operations against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.