Three American troops have died and five others were “seriously wounded” during Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. military campaign targeting Iran, according to a statement from the U.S. military.
Additional personnel who sustained minor shrapnel wounds and concussions have received medical treatment and are expected to resume their duties shortly.
“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” CENTCOM said in an update Sunday morning.
U.S. Central Command also stated that it is not yet releasing the names of the deceased, explaining that it is withholding the identifies the “fallen warriors” until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
Officials have not specified the location where the American service members were killed.
The casualties come as Iran has launched retaliatory attacks against U.S. military installations throughout the Middle East following strikes that eliminated much of Iran’s top leadership — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In the wake of those strikes, the Islamic State fired missiles and deployed attack drones targeting U.S. allies across the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, all of which host American military bases.
Defense authorities in those countries confirmed that incoming missiles aimed at their territories were intercepted. However, debris from the interceptions caused extensive damage in several areas.
At least one person was killed and 11 others were injured in strikes that hit airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Beyond Khamenei, Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who had previously called for Israel’s destruction — was also killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation.
{Matzav.com}