The Department of Defense (DOD) announced this week that more than two dozen Americans were wounded in a series of attacks on American servicemembers across the Middle East. The news comes as the conflict in the Middle East appears to be expanding.
The Pentagon announced that multiple bases hosting American forces were attacked by Iran-linked militia groups. This included sites in both Iraq and Syria.
An initial estimate of two dozen military personnel injured Tuesday was superseded by an increased total Wednesday of 30 total American injuries.
The Total number of American Troops that have been Injured as a result of Rocket and Drone Attacks over the past week on U.S. Bases in Western Iraq and Eastern Syria by Pro-Iranian Militias has now Increased from 24 to 30 with all of the Injuries said to have been Minor including… pic.twitter.com/2SNQPD7g6k
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 25, 2023
The attacks included multiple drone attacks at the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, with four Americans left injured. A separate alert is believed to have caused an American civilian to die due to cardiac arrest.
According to Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, there have been at least 13 attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17.
“We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the IRGC and the Iranian regime,” he said, referencing Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
Groups tied to the Islamic Republic claimed responsibility for a number of attacks on U.S. forces in the region. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have carried out two drone attacks against American forces near the Iraqi border with nearby Jordan.
Furthermore, other Islamist militias stated that they would target American forces in the region if the conflict in Gaza continued to grow. Israel’s government continued airstrikes in the territory but has yet to launch an expected ground offensive.
Separately, a U.S. Navy destroyer shot down multiple missiles believed to be fired from Yemen toward Israel. The projectiles were reportedly fired by Houthi rebels backed by Iran.
Iran has called for retaliation against Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza. Iran is a chief backer of the Palestinian group Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,300 civilians.
