WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defence (Pentagon) has released the latest report on the casualties of US soldiers related to the ongoing war against Iran, according to which 18 US soldiers have been killed and 624 have been injured since the beginning of the war.
The Pentagon on Saturday updated its Defence Casualty Analysis System, registering more than 140 more injured personnel. In addition, four US soldiers killed in recent Iranian attacks have also been re-added to the official list.
According to US media reports, the Pentagon has also introduced a new category in its records called ‘Overseas Operations’, under which a separate record of personnel killed and injured in military operations abroad is being kept since July 7.
According to the report, if the figures of this new category are combined with the records of Operation Epic Fury, a total of 18 US soldiers have been killed and 624 injured in the war against Iran that began on February 28.
According to the latest Pentagon figures, 11 of the dead soldiers belong to the US Army, 6 to the US Air Force and one to the US Navy. Similarly, 461 of the injured personnel belong to the Army, 86 to the Navy, 58 to the Air Force and 19 to the Marine Corps.
The Pentagon has been criticized by US media and some lawmakers for underreporting the number of deaths and injuries in official records despite Iranian attacks. The new “Overseas Operations” category includes casualties from July 7, but does not specify which specific military operation or conflict each incident is related to.
The names included in the report include three US soldiers killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan and one killed in an operation to disable an Iranian drone in northern Iraq. Defence experts say the latest figures show that the humanitarian and military impact of the ongoing military operations against Iran is becoming more serious than ever, while tensions in the region remain high.
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