Pentagon: 109 soldiers sustained traumatic brain injuries during Iran’s missile attacks
The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that the number of soldiers who suffered injuries and traumatic brain damage following the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attacks has reached 109 personnel. The last reported figure was 64 people, and the number has now nearly doubled.
On February 10, hours before the Pentagon announced the updated figure of injured soldiers, Reuters reported that the number of casualties was approximately 50 percent higher than the previously announced figure.
The U.S. Department of Defense, which had previously stated that the consequences of this type of brain damage develop gradually and the number of affected personnel may increase in the future, has now confirmed that the number of those injured has reached 109 personnel.
The Associated Press, citing U.S. Department of Defense officials, added that the number of casualties may continue to increase.
According to the Associated Press report and citing the Pentagon, 74 soldiers who had sustained traumatic injuries have returned to duty.
Meanwhile, 26 others are receiving treatment in Germany or the United States, and seven others have been transferred from Iraq to Germany for examinations regarding potential injuries.
General Mike Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army, said that the consequences and traumatic damage resulting from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attacks may not become apparent for one or two years in some cases.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army added that the U.S. military is still in the initial stages of examination and treatment of soldiers.
Pentagon Spokesperson stated on Monday, February 10, in a statement that the process of treatment and care of soldiers by specialists has resulted in “nearly 70 percent of those who [had traumatic brain injuries] diagnosed in them, returning to duty.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked two U.S. military bases in Iraq on January 8 in response to the killing of Qasem Soleimani in a strike ordered by Donald Trump in Baghdad. These attacks resulted in no casualties among U.S. forces.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, a month earlier downplayed the brain injuries to U.S. personnel and forces resulting from these attacks, saying: “I heard that they have headaches and other things.”
According to Reuters, citing U.S. Department of Defense data, approximately 408,000 American military personnel have sustained injuries and traumatic brain damage since the year 2000.
Source: Radio Farda
