A Patriot missile launcher stands ready to destroy any incoming threats at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Nov. 20, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kenneth Boyton)
The Pentagon provided on October 25 more details on the results of recent drone and rocket attacks on United States bases in Syria and Iraq, amid reports of preparations for a more serious escalation in the Middle East.
Brigade General Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said that a total of 21 U.S. troops sustained “minor injuries” as a result of recent attacks, less than the 24 casualties the U.S. Central Command reported to NBC News a day earlier.
“Between October 17-18, 21 U.S. personnel received minor injuries due to drone attacks at [Ayn] al-Assad Air Base, Iraq, and al-Tanf Garrison, Syria,” the spokesman said. “All members returned to duty.”
“It is important to note, in some cases, service members may report injuries such as (traumatic brain injury) several days after attacks occur, so numbers may change. We will continue to work closely with US Central Command to provide updates as appropriate,” Ryder added.
American defense officials told CNN earlier Wednesday that while all of the personnel have since returned to duty, several continue to be monitored for any additional side effects or injuries. The number of injured personnel has risen as more U.S. troops have reported symptoms in the days following the attacks.
The U.S. unconditional political and military support for Israel after the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack and the sequential heavy bombing campaign against Gaza led to a serious backlash against Washington in the Middle East.
Ryder said on October 24 that U.S. forces have been attacked at least ten separate times in Iraq, and three separate times in Syria since October 17, via a mix of drones and rockets.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed Shia armed factions that formed a special operations room to support Palestinains after the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war, claimed responsibility for the recent attacks.
Four more attacks targeted Ayn al-Assad and Kharab Al-Jir Airstrip in Syria between October 24-26, according to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
While attacks on U.S. forces have been so far confined to Iraq and Syria, threats were made to other bases in the Middle East.
A shadowy armed group known as the Righteous Promise Brigades said on October 24 that it will attack U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in response to the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. The group, which presents itself as an Arabian Peninsula resistance force, is reportedly based in Iraq and backed by Iran.
The U.S. has been taking these threats seriously. The embassy in Kuwait said on October 24 that it is aware of threats made on social media against U.S. bases in the country and that it is limiting its activity on these bases to essential and official events only.
In addition, the Pentagon is reportedly rushing to deploy roughly a dozen THAAD and Patriot air defense systems to protect bases in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE from attacks by Iranian-backed forces.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Israel has agreed to a request from the U.S. to temporarily delay its planned Gaza ground incursion to give Washington more time to deploy the air defense systems to protect its troops in the region.
The U.S. has already used its military assets in the Middle East to support Israel. On October 19, an American warship intercepted more than a dozen missiles and drones which were allegedly launched by the Iran-allied Houthis (Ansar Allah) from Yemen at Israeli targets.
Once Israel launches its ground invasion in Gaza, U.S. forces in the Middle East will likely face larger, more serious attacks. A regional conflict could break out.
russia burns 3 more germ tanks
“21 u.s. troops sustained “minor injuries” as a result of recent attacks”
only murican soldiers consistently receive minor injuries, all other soldiers actually die. rather strange…
ussa got its natostan a$$ ripped to shreds in rump ukraine and now it is about to be destroyed throughout the entire me. humanity thanks mother russia for her great sacrifice and looks forward to the permanent defanging of the diabolic anglozionazi beast on a global scale with the help of the dragon. here’s to the all new “new world order” without the b€a$t and the khazar demon.
american troops sustained brain injuries. not to worry, there are not much brains there anyway
oil thieving scum should have been targeted along time ago
the scumbags also steal grain in their effort to starve the syrian people.
the number of usa military bases in the gulf region is an incredibly aggressive violent posture. usa sure knows how to make enemies. white caucasian usa never grew out of its 19th century cowboy phase when it genocided the indigenous american indians.
you cannot boycott us—we produce nothing except porn and hollywood diseases
the west makes me sick.
another mass murder event in the crumbling cesspool…sawyer in lgbt basement w stapo and jens
who invited them to syria anyway?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uijhbhvxwra “…it’s just a flesh wound…”