(AFP) – Around 200 US military personnel have been wounded in seven countries across the Middle East since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran, a US military spokesman said on Monday.
"The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and more than 180 troops have already returned to duty," while "10 are categorised as seriously wounded," said Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesman for US Central Command.
The injuries took place in countries around the region: Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Hawkins added.
The Pentagon had put the number of wounded at around 140 on March 10, while 13 US troops had been killed – seven in attacks and six in a plane crash in Iraq.
US and Israeli forces launched a massive air campaign against Iran on February 28, and Tehran has responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting countries in the region that host US forces or bases.
The war has killed at least 2,000 people across the Middle East since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, including at least 200 children in Iran, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Reuters adds: Iranian attacks have also struck diplomatic missions, hotels and airports, and damaged energy infrastructure in Arab Gulf states. Last week, Reuters reported that as many as 150 US troops had been wounded in the conflict, highlighting the danger from Iranian strikes.
The United States, meanwhile, has carried out strikes against more than 7,000 targets in Iran.
About a dozen MQ-9 drones have been destroyed in the war, said a US official on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle can loiter at altitudes of around 50,000 feet for more than 27 hours, gathering intelligence with sophisticated cameras, sensors and radars.
The Reaper, which entered service with the US Air Force 16 years ago, can be equipped with weapons such as air-to-ground missiles.