Reports from global news agencies and informed sources in the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) confirmed that around 700 members of the U.S. armed forces suffered varying injuries, with traumatic brain injuries and concussions constituting the largest share of these injuries, following a series of missile attacks and drone strikes on military bases and field headquarters in the Middle East.
Data released by military medical circles, as translated by the News Video Agency, indicates that the total number of injured ranged between 687 and nearly 700 casualties among U.S. forces, most of which resulted from severe explosive waves following the impact of missiles and explodings drones near the soldiers' fortifications.
Sources explained that the vast majority of these injuries were classified as mild to moderate, with most injured individuals undergoing initial screening protocols and rapid medical care on site before returning to their tactical duties, while some complex cases were transferred for advanced treatment.
These developments highlight the nature of the escalating new tactical threats in the region, as current injuries markedly differ from those experienced in previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of landmines, aerial attacks via drones and missiles caused high-impact explosive pressure waves that directly hit the head, leading to concussions in the internal brain tissues without the need for visible external wounds on the soldier's body.
These high statistics have sparked a wave of debate and investigations within the U.S. Congress, with several lawmakers and members of military committees calling for extensive investigations into the efficiency and speed of field medical screening procedures immediately following explosions.
Lawmakers expressed concern about the possibility of some soldiers developing symptoms of concussion weeks after the attacks without receiving the necessary care in a timely manner.
In response, the Pentagon's Defense Health Agency confirmed its full commitment to strict medical protocols and conducting mandatory screenings for all individuals present in the explosive impact zones to protect them from long-term health effects.