American soldiers in Iraq sustain injuries following an assault by three unmanned aerial vehicles.
Pentagon officials reported that three drones attacked U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq on Wednesday. As a result of these assaults, some American troops are being assessed for brain injuries.
Officials did not identify the group behind the attacks, but several Iran-backed militias have repeatedly targeted American troops stationed in Iraq and neighboring Syria over the past several years.
Iran and its allies are currently receiving a lot of attention due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Iran provides significant support to Hamas, which recently carried out a terrorist attack on Israel resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 Israelis and at least 30 Americans.
Pentagon authorities recognized that the events in Iraq occurred during a period of increased tensions throughout the Middle East.
In a statement, U.S. Central Command, the entity responsible for overseeing American military operations in the region, reported that on Wednesday, the U.S. military successfully protected against three drones in close proximity to U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.
The statement reported that in western Iraq, U.S. forces encountered two drones. They successfully destroyed one drone and caused damage to the second, which led to minor injuries among coalition forces. In a separate incident in northern Iraq, U.S. forces engaged and destroyed another drone, resulting in no injuries or damage.
“At this time of increased caution, we are closely observing the situation in Iraq and the surrounding area. The statement from CENTCOM stated that U.S. forces will protect U.S. and coalition forces from any potential danger.”
The statement did not clearly mention the nationality of the injured soldiers or provide specific information about their injuries. However, on Wednesday, Reuters reported, based on information from unidentified U.S. officials, that American military personnel were undergoing assessments for traumatic brain injuries.
In recent years, there have been frequent conflicts between the U.S. and militias supported by Iran in the region. For instance, in August 2022, President Biden authorized a sequence of counterattacks on militias associated with Iran in Syria. This action was taken in response to allegations that these militias had launched rockets at American bases in the country.
Those groups were widely believed to be Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, two Iraqi Shiite militias with direct ties with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In the last day, there have been notable demonstrations in Iran and other Arab countries following an incident at a hospital in the Gaza Strip. Hamas alleged that the explosion, attributed to Israeli airstrikes, resulted in the deaths of over 500 individuals. This assertion gained credibility among many in the Arab region.
Israel claimed that the explosion occurred due to a misfired rocket from Hamas. President Biden, who recently visited Israel, stated that U.S. intelligence assessments support Israel’s account of the incident.
Possible Iranian involvement is indicated by the utilization of drones in the attacks on U.S. forces that occurred on Wednesday. Iran possesses a strong drone program and has even provided unmanned aircraft to Russia for their involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
