Dozens of American troops seriously injured in Iranian drone strike in Kuwait, says report

WASHINGTON — Dozens of US service members were seriously injured in an Iranian drone attack on a US tactical operations center in Kuwait early in the war with Iran, according to a report Wednesday. The troop suffered brain trauma, burns and shrapnel wounds, with at least one service member requiring the amputation of a limb, CBS News reported, citing multiple sources. More than 30 personnel remained hospitalized as of Tuesday, it said. One was reportedly being treated at Brooke Army Medical Center in the US state of Texas, 12 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington, and about 25 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Around 20 of those injured were flown to Germany on a C-17 military aircraft with “urgent” injuries requiring evacuation, including concussions, memory loss and traumatic brain injuries, sources told CBS. The Pentagon initially said five were seriously wounded and “several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday that 140 US service members have been injured since the start of the war with Iran, and that most have returned to duty while eight remain severely wounded and receiving advanced medical care. Kuwait’s international airport was hit by several drones on Thursday morning, leading to material damage, the country’s civil aviation authority said. No injuries were reported in the attack, the authority said in a statement carried by state news agency KUNA. The country’s airspace is currently closed due to the war with Iran. The announcement comes shortly after Iran launched a new wave of retaliatory attacks on energy supplies in the region. — Agencies