A total of 861 US service members have been injured since the start of hostilities with Iran, according to the latest data in the Pentagon's military casualty analysis system. The number has increased by 37 in a week, without the US Department of Defense specifying when or under what circumstances the newly added service members were injured.
The increase includes 29 Navy sailors and eight Marine Corps soldiers. A Navy spokesman said all 29 sailors have returned to duty. Details about the nature of the injuries were not disclosed.
How the losses were distributed
According to published statistics, 418 servicemen were injured during Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28. This category also includes 14 dead American servicemen.
Another 443 wounded and five dead are included in the separate category of "Overseas Operations". The Pentagon does not specify in which specific operations these losses occurred. Thus, the total number of wounded in both categories reaches 861.
The separation of data began after the end of Operation Epic Fury, which American officials announced on May 5. With the renewed fighting in July, the Pentagon began counting new cases separately, rather than adding them to the original category. The Associated Press described the change as creating a separate category for casualties from the renewed strikes.
The number of wounded has changed many times
At the beginning of August, the total number of wounded American service members was 687. As of August 20, the Pentagon reported 756 wounded, and the total number of dead and wounded reached 774.
The Pentagon has not publicly explained the latest addition of 37 service members. Previously, department officials explained the changes in the database with “anomalies“ and “temporary data interruptions”, the Associated Press reported.
The United States and Israel began military action against Iran on February 28. After a period of ceasefire, Washington resumed large-scale strikes in July, with the US accusing Tehran of violating agreements related to the Strait of Hormuz. The latest data leaves the separate categories in place until the Pentagon announces a new methodology for unifying them.
Sources: The Washington Post