Pentagon says 59 US troops wounded in 55 attacks in Syria, Iraq
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – An official of the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) said on Tuesday that 59 US personnel sustained various injuries in 55 attacks on their bases in Syria and Iraq since Oct. 17.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Sabrina Singh, told reporters that Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq continue attacks on US troops involved in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). She said that since Oct. 17, 55 attacks were conducted against US forces, “27 attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and 28 attacks in Syria.”
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, following a surprise attack by Hamas, Iranian-backed militias have stepped up their attacks against US bases in Syria and Iraq.
“Approximately 27 personnel have been evaluated for TBI [traumatic brain injuries] and 32 for other injuries,” Singh added, stressing all of the 59 US troops returned to duty.
Recently, US forces have launched retaliatory airstrikes on sites linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated Iranian-backed militias in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
Singh noted they conducted three different strikes, emphasizing “We [US] will always reserve the right to respond at a time in place of our choosing in the future.”
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Tuesday that a US official said the latest US airstrikes carried out on Nov. 13, killed up to seven individuals present in an IRGC training facility near the town of Abu Kamal in eastern Deir ez-Zor.
According to the official, a second strike that was carried out at a safe house near the town of al-Mayadin possibly killed another person.
However, a source within the IRGC told North Press on Nov. 13, the airstrikes killed nine militants of the IRGC and affiliated Iranian-backed militias and led to the injury of others.
On Nov. 8, the US bombed posts and weapon warehouses used by Iran’s IRGC in the city of Deir ez-Zor.