US troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injury were being treated at their bases following attacks in Syria last week by Iranian-backed militants, officials said on Thursday.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said four service members suffered traumatic brain injuries at a U.S. base near Hasaka during a March 23 drone strike. Two others were wounded at the Green Village mission support site during an attack on 24 March.
They were all in stable condition, he said.
US BASE IN SYRIA ATTACKED BY IRANIAN PROXY FORCES AFTER Reprisal Airstrikes
Special operations troops of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led anti-jihadist coalition take part in military exercises with heavy weapons in Syria’s Deir Ezzor countryside. (Photo by Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)
“All personnel in the vicinity of an explosion are screened for traumatic brain injuries. So these additional injuries were identified during post-attack medical screenings,” Ryder said during a news conference, according to Reuters.
The Pentagon has estimated that eight militants were also killed in retaliatory US airstrikes on two Iran-linked facilities in Syria.
Last week, President Biden warned Iran that the United States would act forcefully to protect American lives. Currently, US troops are in Syria fighting the remaining elements of the Islamic State.
“Again, we are not seeking conflict with Iran, but we will always protect our people,” Ryder said.
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Meanwhile, Iran has accused the United States of targeting civilian sites.
