Daily US Times, Pentagon:The Pentagon said 34 US troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) following an Iranian attack on their base in Iraq earlier this month.
A spokesman said 17 troops are still under medical observation.
The US administration including the President claimed previously that there were no injuries in the 8 January strike, which came in retaliation for the US killing of an Iranian general.
Trump said he decided not to strike back against Iran due to a lack of injuries.
But last week, for the first time since the attack took place, Pentagon said 11 service members had been treated for concussion symptoms from the attack.
President Trump was asked about the injuries at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and he replied: “I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it’s not very serious.”
“I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen,” Mr. Trump added.
Pentagon said no Americans were killed by the Iranian missile attack as the soldiers took shelter in bunkers when missiles rained down.
Jonathan Hoffman, a spokesperson of the defense department told reporters that eight of the affected soldiers have been sent back to the US for further treatment, while another nine are being treated in Germany.
Officials say sixteen troops were treated in Iraq and one in Kuwait before all 17 were returned to active duty.
But why did the administration denied any injuries after the attack? Mr. Hoffman claims defense Secretary Mark Esper had not immediately been aware of the injuries in the days after the attack.
According to the US military, traumatic brain injuries are most common in warzones. The most common cause of a TBI for deployed soldiers is an explosive blast.
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