New York: An Indian-descent US soldier, Angela Rampersad, is feared killed during an Iranian attack on a base in Jordan, according to the Pentagon.
The 25-year-old Army sergeant “is believed to have been killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan”, the Department of War said.
“The incident is under investigation”, it said.
She was previously listed as missing and her “status was updated to a Duty Status – Whereabouts Unknown and is believed to be deceased”, the statement said.
Rampersad is from the Indian community of immigrants from Guyana, and her father was identified by a local Democratic Party leader as Basdeo Rampersad.
The Pentagon said she is from Ozone Park neighbourhood of Queens borough of New York City, which has a large community of Indian-descent Guyanese.
The Democratic Party leader, Pesach Osina, hailed her as “truly a gift to everyone who knew her”, and said she “wanted to serve, protect others, and do her duty with courage and humility”.
Osina, who is the Democratic Party nominee for the State Assembly constituency her family lives in, said on X that since the tragedy he has “remained close” to the sergeant’s father Basdeo Rampersad and her family, including her mother, Carol Acevedo.
President Donald Trump has vowed to avenge the attack on her and the other US Army personnel confirmed killed in the Friday attack.
He said on Wednesday that Iran is “going to pay a big price” for the attack.
Earlier he wrote on Truth Social, “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over”.
If her death is confirmed, she would be the fourth US Army personnel killed in the attack on the base as the US-Iran conflict that flared up anew last month when the tenuous peace under the memorandum of understanding between the two countries was broken.
So far 18 US military personnel have been confirmed killed since the conflict broke out in February after Israel and the US began air attacks on Iranian leadership.
Rampersad, who is with the10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, Ansbach in Germany, was on duty in Jordan when Iran rained drones on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
(IANS)
