Washington, 1 February 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The US government on Wednesday attributed the recent deadly attack on US soldiers in Jordan to the umbrella group Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

"We believe that the attack in Jordan was planned, resourced, and facilitated by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which contains multiple groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah," US National Security adviser John Kirby said in a press briefing in Washington.

Three US soldiers were killed and about two dozen others were injured in a drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan on Sunday.

US President Joe Biden blamed radical militant groups supported by Iran for the attack and threatened to retaliate. Iran denied any involvement.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack. A group of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have been operating together under this umbrella term since the Gaza war began in early October.

The Iran-allied Kataib Hezbollah group, which is supported by Iran, is one of the strongest militias in Iraq. It is demanding the withdrawal of US troops from the country.

When asked whether Kataib Hezbollah specifically was behind the Jordan attack, Kirby said that "this certainly has the earmarks of the kinds of things that Kata'ib Hezbollah does" but for now "the attribution... that our intelligence community is comfortable with is that this was done by the umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq."

Since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas in October, pro-Iranian militias have carried out almost daily attacks on US military bases in Iraq and Syria. The US government has responded with air strikes in both countries.

In addition, Yemen's Houthi rebels - in solidarity with Hamas - have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea. In response, the US and Britain, with the support of other allies, have carried out military strikes against the Iranian-backed militia in Yemen.

Photo: MIA archive