More than 300 US troops injured since start of Iran war
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Smoke rising from an area in the direction of Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, which houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force and foreign forces including the US, in Doha on Feb 28.
PHOTO: AFP
- US Central Command reports 303 US troops wounded and 13 killed since the Iran war began on Feb 28, with most injuries minor.
- Iran's military warned on March 26 that hotels housing US soldiers in the region would be considered legitimate targets.
- Despite the ongoing conflict, President Trump claimed on March 26 that talks to end the war were "ongoing" and "going very well."
AI generated
WASHINGTON - More than 300 US troops have been wounded since the start of the Iran war on Feb 28, US Central Command said on March 27.
“Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 US service members have been wounded. The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 273 troops have returned to duty,” US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said.
A US official who asked not to be identified told AFP that 10 troops remain seriously wounded.
A further 13 troops have been killed in the war, according to the latest figures, with seven killed in the Gulf and six in Iraq.
In a separate development on March 27, Iran’s military said that hotels housing US soldiers in the region would be considered targets.
“When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American,” armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television on March 26.
Iran’s government has not released an updated casualty toll, but a US-based activist group said on March 23 that some 1,167 Iranian troops had been killed and 658 troops’ status is unknown. AFP is not able to independently verify tolls in Iran due to reporting restrictions.
The war began on Feb 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since then, the conflict has spread across the Middle East. Iran has fired drone and missiles at Gulf states home to American military bases and other interests.
US President Donald Trump insisted on March 26 that talks to end the conflict were “ongoing” and “going very well”. AFP
