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US Central Command: More than 300 US troops injured since Iran war began

In a separate statement on March 27, the Iranian military said that hotels housing US troops in the region would be considered targets

Снимка: БГНЕС/ЕРА

US Central Command reported on March 27 that more than 300 US troops have been injured since the start of the Iran war on February 28.

"Since the start of Operation "Epic Fury", approximately 303 US service members have been injured. "The majority of these injuries are minor, and 273 soldiers have returned to duty," said Captain Tim Hawkins of the US Navy.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that 10 soldiers remained seriously injured.

Another 13 soldiers have been killed in the war, according to the latest figures, with seven killed in the Persian Gulf and six in Iraq.

In a separate statement on March 27, the Iranian military said that hotels housing US troops in the region would be considered targets.

"When all American forces enter a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television on March 26.

The Iranian government has not released an updated death toll, but an activist A US-based group said on March 23 that some 1,167 Iranian soldiers had been killed and the condition of 658 soldiers was unknown. AFP was unable to independently verify the death toll in Iran due to reporting restrictions.

The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, killing its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The conflict has since spread across the Middle East. Iran has fired drones and missiles at Gulf states that host US military bases and other interests.

US President Donald Trump insisted on March 26 that talks to end the conflict were "ongoing" and "going very well".