Trump downplays reported injuries to US troops in Iranian attack, as more are flown out for checks

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DAVOS, Switzerland/WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Jan 22) said he did not consider the brain injuries suffered by 11 US service members in Iran's recent attack on a base in Iraq to be serious, as the American military moved more troops out of the region for potential injuries.

In a statement on Wednesday, US Central Command said that more troops had been flown out of Iraq to Germany for medical evaluations following Iran's Jan 8 missile attack on the base where US forces were stationed after announcing the 11 injuries last week.

Further injuries may be identified in the future, it added, without giving further details.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said about a dozen troops were being transported to Germany.

Trump and other top officials initially said Iran's attack had not killed or injured any US service members before the Pentagon reversed course on Thursday, saying 11 US troops had been treated for concussion symptoms after the attack on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq.

On Wednesday, Trump declined to explain the discrepancy.

"I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report it is not very serious," Trump told a news conference in Davos, Switzerland.

Asked whether he considered traumatic brain injury to be serious, Trump said: "They told me about it numerous days later. You'd have to ask the Department of Defence."

Pentagon officials have said there had been no effort to minimise or delay information on concussive injuries, but its handling of the injuries following Teheran's attack has renewed questions over the US military's policy regarding how it handles suspected brain injuries.

While the US military has to immediately report incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight, it does not have an urgent requirement to do so with suspected traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can take time to manifest and diagnose.

According to Pentagon data, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000.

"I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen," Trump said.

"I've seen people with no legs and no arms."

Various health and medial groups for years have been trying to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, including concussions.

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