At least 12 US troops were wounded in an Iranian strike in Saudi Arabia on Friday, two of them seriously, in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Reuters reported citing a US official.The latest casualties bring the total number of US service members wounded since the conflict began on February 28 to over 300, with around 273 already returned to duty. Thirteen American troops have been killed so far.
The latest combined missile and drone strike is being considered as one of the most serious breaches of American air defences since the war began. It has caused significant damage to at least two KC‑135 aerial refuelling planes, US officials told The New York Times.“Iran has bombed US bases across the Middle East over the course of the war, deploying a vast arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones in an effort to retaliate and disrupt the American bombing campaign,” officials said. The attacks have forced US Central Command to relocate thousands of troops to safer locations, some as far as Europe.While most Iranian strikes have been intercepted by US and allied air defences, cheaper disposable weapons like Shahed drones have occasionally overwhelmed defensive networks. Earlier incidents include six US Army reservists killed in a drone strike at Shuaiba port in Kuwait and another service member killed at Prince Sultan on March 1.Nearly 225 of the wounded US troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries from missile blasts, though all but around 35 have returned to duty.Reports indicate more than 1,492 deaths in Iran, over 1,110 in Lebanon, more than 50 in Gulf countries, and at least 16 in Israeli attacks.
