34 troops diagnosed with brain injury after Iran strike

Video Credit: Reuters Studio
Published on January 25, 2020 - Duration: 01:51s

34 troops diagnosed with brain injury after Iran strike

The Pentagon said on Friday that 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq earlier this month, a number higher than the military had previously announced.

Gavino Garay has more.


34 troops diagnosed with brain injury after Iran strike

The Pentagon on Friday said that 34 American service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran that came in retaliation of the U.S. killing a top Iranian military general.

The strikes took place January 8th on the al-Asad air base in Iraq, where American troops are housed.

The new information appears to diverge from what U.S. President Donald Trump said shortly after the strikes - which was that no U.S. service members were killed or injured.

Earlier this week, Trump again downplayed the news that U.S. troops had been badly injured in the strike.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: "No, 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.

No very serious-- " During the strike, one rocket knocked down more than a dozen heavy concrete walls and incinerated shipping containers used as living space by U.S. soldiers.

Another destroyed two hangars that normally house Blackhawk helicopters, ripping through offices nearby and causing a fuel fire that lasted hours.

Iraqi officers stationed at the base told Reuters loss of life was prevented because staff began moving personnel and weaponry into fortified bunkers hours before the attack.

Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters that 17 service members diagnosed had already returned to duty in Iraq.

Some who had been previously transported to Germany have been moved to the U.S. and WILL receive treatment at either Walter Reed military hospital or their home bases.

Symptoms among those Injured Include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea.

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