US Identifies Third Soldier Killed in Jordan Attack; Iraq Incident Claims Another Life
The United States military has identified a third service member believed to have been killed in the 28 January attack on a base in Jordan. The soldier, Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was initially listed as missing and is now classified as 'Duty Status – Whereabouts Unknown' and believed deceased, according to the Pentagon.
The attack, which involved ballistic missiles and drones launched by Iranian-backed forces, killed two other US soldiers: First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. All three were deployed to support the US mission against the Islamic State group, the US Central Command stated.
In a separate incident, the US military also confirmed the death of Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, a father of two from Spring Lake, North Carolina. Swinton was killed on 30 January during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone at an air base in Irbil, Iraq. He served with the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, and will receive a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge, and a posthumous promotion to staff sergeant.
The deaths mark the first US troop fatalities from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the conflict. The Pentagon has not provided an exact timeline for the broader conflict, but renewed hostilities between the US and Iran have been ongoing for over a week, with both sides conducting strikes. Iranian authorities claim US strikes have killed at least 50 people and wounded over 500 in the past three weeks.
The attacks have also affected civilian infrastructure and resulted in civilian casualties in the region, including foreign workers and sailors. The US State Department has issued a warning to American citizens regarding heightened tensions with Iran.
