As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say

WASHINGTON, USA – As many as 150 US troops have been wounded in the 10-day-old war with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, March 10.

The casualty figure has not been previously reported. Prior to Reuters’ publication of the figure, the Pentagon had only disclosed eight US personnel seriously injured.

In a statement after Reuters published its report, the Pentagon estimated the figure to be approximately 140 wounded and said the vast majority of them were minor.

“Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 140 US service members have been wounded over 10 days of sustained attacks,” said chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

He said 108 of the wounded service members had already returned to duty.

Parnell said the eight seriously wounded service members were receiving the highest level of medical care.

Reuters could not determine the types of injuries and whether they include traumatic brain injuries, which are common after exposure to blasts.

Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against US military bases since the start of the conflict on February 28. It has also struck diplomatic missions in Arab Gulf states as well as hotels and airports and damaged oil infrastructure.

The Pentagon says the number of Iranian strikes has fallen sharply since the start of the war, as the US military bombs Iran’s weapons inventories and targets Iran’s more limited number of missile launchers.

Asked if Iran was a stronger adversary than he expected when the US military drew up its war plans, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters earlier on Tuesday that the fight was not harder than expected.

“I think they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they are more formidable than what we thought,” Caine told a Pentagon briefing. – Rappler.com