The Pentagon said 21 US soldiers were slightly injured in recent drone attacks

CNN
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A total of 21 US service members reported “minor injuries” as a result Drone and missile attacks On coalition military bases in Iraq and Syria last week, according to the Pentagon.

“Between October 17 and 18 (Eastern time), 21 American soldiers were slightly injured due to drone attacks on Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria,” said Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Wednesday. “All members have returned to duty.”

Although all personnel have since returned to duty, many are still being monitored for any side effects or additional infections, defense officials told CNN earlier Wednesday. The number of infected individuals rose as more US troops showed symptoms of the disease in the days following the attacks.

“It is important to note that, in some cases, service members may report injuries such as traumatic brain injury several days after attacks, so numbers may change. “We will continue to work closely with US Central Command to provide updates as appropriate,” Ryder said.

CNN previously reported that several soldiers were slightly injured in the attacks, although the exact number is unclear.

Ryder said Tuesday that US and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq, and three separate times in Syria since October 17, by a combination of attack drones and missiles in one direction. US officials attributed the attacks to Iranian proxy groups operating in the region, and warned of the potential for major escalation by these groups in the near term.

NBC News was First to report Number of minor injuries in Syria and Iraq.

Officials He told CNN earlier this weekHowever, at this stage, Iran appears to be encouraging the groups rather than explicitly directing them. One of the officials said that Iran is providing guidance to militia groups that they will not be punished — by not resupplying them with weapons, for example — if they continue to attack American or Israeli targets.

The attacks have escalated amid US support for Israel in its war against Hamas, and intensified in the wake of a hospital explosion in Gaza, which Palestinian militants and Israel blamed on each other. US intelligence officials said on Tuesday that the explosion occurred when a missile fired by a Palestinian armed group split in the air and the warhead fell on the hospital.

Iran supports a number of proxy militia groups in countries across the region through the IRGC-QF, and Tehran does not always exercise optimal command and control over these groups. One source indicated that the extent to which these groups are willing to act independently is a “persistent intelligence gap.”

But a senior defense official said the United States believes the agents are being financed, armed, equipped and trained by Iran, and therefore the United States holds Tehran responsible for their actions.

Officials across the administration have emphasized in recent days that the United States is preparing for a potential escalation, and is preparing defensive and offensive capabilities if a response becomes necessary.

The United States has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and about 900 in Syria as part of the anti-ISIS coalition, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement last weekend that he was deploying additional air defense systems in the region in response to the attacks. , including a high-altitude area defense missile system and additional Patriot batteries.

Iran warned on Sunday that the situation could escalate. At a conference with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the Middle East was like a “powder keg,” according to quotes published by the state-aligned Tasnim news agency.

“Any miscalculation in continuing genocide and forced displacement could have serious and bitter consequences, both in the region and for the warmongers,” Abdullahian said, referring to the United States and Israel.

The Iranian Foreign Minister also warned the United States and Israel that “if crimes against humanity do not stop immediately, there is a possibility that the region could spiral out of control at any moment.”

Correction: This headline and story have been corrected to reflect an updated statement from the Pentagon about the number of U.S. service members injured in recent drone attacks.