Eleven US soldiers were injured in last week’s Iranian missile strike on two Iraqi bases housing US troops, The Hill reports Thursday.
The US service members were reportedly airlifted to Kuwait and Germany where they received treatment for what was described as traumatic brain injuries and underwent further tests.
“Out of an abundance of caution, some service members were transported from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, others were sent to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, for follow-on screening,” Col. Myles Caggins, a spokesman for US military command in Baghdad, told the Defense One news outlet.
“When deemed fit for duty, the service members are expected to return to Iraq following screening. The health and welfare of our personnel is a top priority and we will not discuss any individual’s medical status," the statement continued.
At least some of the service members were thought to have suffered concussions in the attacks, a separate unnamed official said.
“About a week after the attack some service members were still experiencing some symptoms of concussion,” the official said, adding, “We only got wind of this in the last 24 hours.”
The Iranian missile attack was in retaliation for the US killing of General Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The Trump administration previously had stated that no US or Iraqi casualties were reported after the attacks.