A HH-60 helicopter prepares to land during a medical evacuation exercise within the 55km deconfliction zone in Syria, May 27, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Howard)
United States forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked with drones or rockets by Iranian-backed groups at least 38 times in less than a month, the Pentagon revealed on November 6.
Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said that the attacks wounded 46 U.S. troops, more than double the injuries previously reported.
“These could be things like shrapnel, headaches, perforated eardrums, tinnitus, rolled ankles,” Ryder said, adding “traumatic brain injuries” to the list.
The troops’ injuries occurred during four attacks: a drone attack at al-Harir Air Base near Erbil city in the northern Iraqi autonomous region of Kurdistan, where the drone crashed prior to exploding; two drone attacks at Ay al-Assad Air Base in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar and another drone attack at Al-Tanf garrison in Syria in southeastern Syria.
All wounded personnel returned to duty following their injuries, Ryder told reporters. However, he noted that two U.S. personnel who had been treated for traumatic brain injuries and originally returned to duty were subsequently sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for further examination.
“They are in stable condition, so this is out of an abundance of caution,” Ryder said.
At least 16 of the attacks against the American troops were carried out after U.S. forces struck two facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the eastern Syria governorate of Deir Ezzor on October 27.
November 5 marked the highest number of attacks in a single day since the attacks began. Three drone and rocket attacks targeted Ayn al-Assad Air Base, another attack targeted a U.S. base near Erbil International Airport and two more drone attacks at two bases housing U.S. troops in Syria.
Right after the Pentagon’s announcement, the number of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria exceeded 40. Three drone attacks targeted two bases in northern Iraq and another targeted the Green Village base in al-Omar oil fields in Syria’s Deir Ezzor on November 7. A gas facility hosting U.S. troops in Deir Ezzor was also targeted with rockets on the same day.
An Iranian-backed shadowy armed group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for nearly all recent attacks on U.S. forces, saying that they were carried out in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
The group formed a special operations room to support Gaza following the October 17 Al-Ahli Arab Hospital massacre and joined the war by launching attacks against U.S. forces. It later announced at least two strikes against Israel.
The recent attacks forced the U.S. to reinforce its bases in the Middle East with more than 1,200 troops and a dozen air defense systems. However, Washington continues to provide Israel with unconditional military support. This will definitely lead to more escalation in the region.
many thanks to the us troops, as they voluntarily go to iraq and syria as a destination.
not sure where you are going with this , but those troops are following orders. they are not voluntarily going. they are soldiers and to refuse the order to go would be a death sentence, or at least imprisonment for insubordination. it would be interesting to see their generals lead the charge as uninvited and unwanted interlopers into iraq and syria. cowards hide behind their foot sloggers.
a citizen volunteers to enlist in the armed forces, i’m not saying all of them but a majority of those soldiers know exactly what’s going on.
indeed, this is also why the elite inflict economic/class warfare as well as attack the very fabric of society in terms of ethics, quality of education system, military jingoistic misinformation psyops, undermining family unity/structure. they rely on poor, misinformed, and ignorant morally compromised citizens to volunteer.
but its why there is record high suicide in the us military. they join based on delusions and then realize that it is all a huge lie. they realize that they are cannon fodder, they’re not the good guys, and the government doesn’t actually care about them (even if they’re injured on the line of duty)this explains the record high suicide rate, among both active and vets
serving in the us military is a voluntary, but, a contractual obligation. all males between 18 and 25 must register there is no draft, however, the refusal to be drafted is a felony and the individual can be fined up to $250,00 and imprisonment up to 5 years once in the force you go where you are told. some option eh? ali was fined $10,000, lost his title, suspension from boxng and 5 years.
anyone who has enlisted in the past thirty or so years knows what is expected of them they are guilty.
the ss used that argument at nuremberg, just obeying orders, it was decided then it is not a legitimate defence, better to serve jail time with a clear concience than carry out war crimes.
you are correct. were it me although i am far to old now, i too would take prison over the crime of murdering children and their mothers from a distance, up close or from the air. there can be no justification for such atrocities.
you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer hey ?.
many thanks to the us troops, as they voluntarily go to iraq and syria as a destination.
sheep usually voluntarily go …
rolled ankles 😆😆😆
my cousin in the special forces told me: “i see dead people”
all the time?… dramatic pause…
use much bigger rockets and blow those criminal off the map.
konečne!!! okupantov a zlodejov z usa treba vyhnať, alebo zlikvidovať!!! nemajú čo pohľadávať v sýrii a ani v iraku!!! mor ho!!! svetu mier!!!
“headaches, tinnitus, rolled ankles, and hmmm traumatic brain injuries” awkward pause…
„iranian backed“ militias (calling themselves ‚russian army“) are fighting the kiev regime. seriously, stop using us-zionist propagandistic terminology.
my brain injury 72 years ago improve my empathy
fake news —when devoid of brain amerikan cannot be injured in head—only in azz