WASHINGTON – U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria were targeted in seven more attacks over the weekend, as the United States increased its military presence in the region as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
“Since Oct. 17 Eastern Time, we’ve had 20 attacks in Iraq, 18 in Syria; a total of 38 of these, you know, are essentially drone and rocket harassment attacks,” the press secretary said Monday. of the Pentagon, Patrick Ryder, to journalists. .
The total of 38 attacks was up from Friday afternoon, when the number was 31, according to the Pentagon.
While Ryder said no injuries were reported in the weekend attacks, more troops have recently reported injuries in previous incidents.
The newly reported injuries include five Americans diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries at the Al-Tanf military base in Syria, the representative said, bringing the total to 20 so far.
“We have also diagnosed 10 more people in Al-Tanf with other minor injuries,” he said. “These could be things like shrapnel, headaches, perforated eardrums, tinnitus, sprained ankle, etc.”
The newly reported injuries bring to 45 the total number of forces injured in attacks in the region since the first assault occurred on October 17.
Pentagon spokesman, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023.AP
It’s not uncommon for injury rates to increase in the days and weeks following an attack “for a number of reasons,” Ryder explained.
“If people initially ignore the severity of the injuries they sustained, whether from a direct or non-direct explosion, they may delay reporting or seeking treatment, or symptoms that occur after the initial report may cause the staff to seek care at a later date.” he said.
Fighter jets carried out airstrikes against the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on October 14, 2023.Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Ain al-Asad military air base in Iraq’s western Anbar province. AFP via Getty Images
“Therefore, reporting data relies heavily on self-reporting when individual injuries are not visually evident to medical personnel providing care immediately after an incident,” he added.
At the Al-Asad military base in Iraq, there were nine additional soldiers reporting “other minor injuries,” but no increase in the number of traumatic brain injury cases, which remains at four in total.
“Another injury has been diagnosed: a minor injury in Erbil. [military base in Iraq] – following an attack there on October 26,” Ryder said.
A map of US bases that have been attacked. NY Post Composite
The new attacks came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the war-torn Middle East region, making stops in the occupied West Bank, Iraq and Turkey from Sunday to Monday.
President Biden held an emergency call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to clarify some of what Blinken was pushing for, including “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s strikes against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
“[Biden and Netanyahu] “We discussed the possibility of tactical pauses to provide civilians with opportunities to safely exit areas of ongoing fighting, to ensure that assistance reaches civilians who need it, and to allow for potential hostage releases,” the House said. Blanca in a later statement.
President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an emergency phone call on Monday.Getty Images
“The president also discussed the situation in the West Bank and the need to hold extremist settlers accountable for violent acts,” the Biden administration said.
Israel has opposed a pause in its attacks until all hostages taken by Hamas during its heinous October 7 attack on the Jewish state are freed.
More than 1,400 Israelis died in the massacre. Palestinian leaders have said that more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s retaliation.
The developments came as the United States increased its forces in the Middle East, notably sending a nuclear-capable Ohio-class submarine to the region on Sunday, and the US Central Command boldly announced its presence there in a message sent to X that day.
24 soldiers were wounded in attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria. NY Post composite
The same day, CENTCOM also announced the dispatch of a bomber task force to the Middle East, “demonstrating the US military’s ability to respond to crises and contingencies in all theaters,” it said in another post to X.
The Defense Department rarely reports on active or future movements of US submarines, as the submarine force – nicknamed “the silent service” – thrives on the platforms’ ability to maneuver without enemy detection.
The Navy also operated two aircraft carriers – the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – and their strike groups in the eastern Mediterranean over the weekend. Each aircraft carrier has crews of approximately 5,000 sailors.
The new deployments to the region were intended to “further support our deterrence efforts in the region,” Ryder said.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn