Jan. 16 (UPI) — Eleven U.S. service members were treated for concussion symptoms after Iran launched ballistic missiles last week at Al-Asad airbase in retaliation for a U.S airstrike that killed a high-ranking Iranian military official, the U.S. military said.
“While no U.S. service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack … several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed,” said Capt. Bill Urban, U.S. Central Command spokesman, in a statement.
He said 11 service members were transported to two hospitals in Germany and Kuwait for screening and once completed the injured soldiers are expected to return to Iraq.
The statement follows U.S. President Donald Trump saying in a national address the day after the attack that “we suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.”
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said tentage, taxiways, a helicopter and a parking lot were damaged in the attack but made no mention of injured soldiers. The Department of Defense defines casualties as an injury or death.
“Most importantly, no casualties, no friendly casualties, whether they are U.S., coalition, contractor, et cetera,” he told reporters. “
Last Wednesday, Iran launched 16 ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. and coalition personnel as retaliation for the United States killing Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force, in a drone strike days earlier.
Hours after Iran launched its retaliatory attack, a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down near the Persian capital of Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.
Days after blaming the accident on a malfunction, Iran admitted to shooting it down by mistake, prompting protests to erupt in anger through the streets of Tehran.
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