Washington DC, USA

The US Department of Defense on Monday (Jan 29) identified three US soldiers who were killed in a deadly drone strike on a US military outpost in Jordan. The three fallen soldiers—William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia—were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a US Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia.

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Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday at least 40 more people were injured in the attack, a number which is likely to increase as some others are showing symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Of those, at least eight were taken to the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center.

Who was William Rivers?

William Rivers was enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2011 as an Interior Electrician or 12R. Following the completion of his advanced individual training, Rivers was first assigned to the 990th Engineer Company at Fort McGuire-Dix in New Jersey.

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In 2018, he also completed a nine-month rotation to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker in a statement expressed grief over the killing, saying, “His death is a profound loss to his family, friends, colleagues, and our entire country, and a reminder of the heavy debt we owe to our military families for their sacrifice.”

Watch: West Asia Crisis: Three US soldiers killed, 34 injured in drone strike in Jordan

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Governor Phil Murphy talked about signing an executive order later this week, lowering flags at half-staff to honour Rivers.

Who was Kennedy Sanders?

Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders was also killed in strikes on the military outpost on Sunday (Jan 28). On Monday, Ware County leaders gathered to issue a proclamation honouring the 24-year-old fallen soldier. All flags within the Waycross city were flown at half-mast in her memory.

Also read: Pentagon vows action after Jordan attack, releases names of 3 soldiers killed as Iran denies involvement 

Her family members also issued a statement on Facebook. In a post, Shawn Sanders, a family member of Kennedy Sanders, wrote, “Our family would like to thank you for respect given to Kennedy. Munchkin will be missed by many.”

Who was Breonna Moffett?

Specialist Breonna Moffett was the third man to have died in the Jordan outpost in the Sunday drone strike. The 23-year-old soldier hailed from Savannah and served in the 718th Engineer Company. 

President of the US Joe Biden has blamed Iran for the drone attack and vowed a strong retaliation, an accusation that Iran strongly denies.

The US military is still investigating the attack and finding out where it emerged from.

(With inputs from agencies)