(Washington) American forces deployed in Iraq and Syria have been the target of 55 attacks in the past month, in which dozens of soldiers were lightly injured, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The number of attacks targeting American troops has jumped with the war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement in power in the Gaza Strip and supported by Iran.
“Since October 17 to date, there have been 55 attacks on American forces,” said Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokesperson, specifying that 27 attacks had targeted American troops in Iraq and 28 those positioned in Syria. She said 59 American service members suffered minor injuries.
Washington, Israel’s primary supporter, has for weeks accused Tehran of being involved in these proxy attacks and the United States responded by carrying out strikes in Syria three times on sites linked to Iran.
The war between Israel and Hamas began after the surprise attack by the Palestinian Islamist organization on October 7 in Israel, which left at least 1,200 dead according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded by shelling Gaza, controlled by the Palestinian movement and subject to an Israeli blockade, leaving more than 11,300 dead, according to the latest report from the Hamas Health Ministry.
Washington has around 900 soldiers in Syria and nearly 2,500 in Iraq fighting the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS).