50 US troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following the January 8 missile attack on their Ail al-Asad base in Iraq by Iran, Pentagon has said, as reported by the Guardian.
"As of today, 50 US service members have been diagnosed” with traumatic brain injury," The Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Campbell said.
"Of these 50, 31 total service members were treated in Iraq and returned to duty, including 15 of the additional service members who have been diagnosed since the previous report. 18 service members have been transported to Germany for further evaluation and treatment. This is an increase of one service member from the previous report," Pentagon statement added.
The number had risen from the previous 34 as announced by the US officials, according to the CNN.
The latest injury surge revelation goes against earlier reports by the US officials and President Donald Trump's dismissal remark, having downplayed the injuries and killings fears on the US troops by the Iran attack, according to the New York Times.
"I heard they had headaches and a couple of other things ... and I can report it is not very serious," Trump had said.
In addition, it is reported that the number of diagnosed is likely to increase. This is after 200 persons were screened for the symptoms, according to Pentagon as reported by the CNN.
The Western Iraq US base attack was retaliatory by Iran following a US drone attack that killed Iran General Qasem Soleimani.
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