Pentagon: Attacks on US Bases Spike Over a Week

U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked 27 times over the past week, including five over the past 24 hours, the Pentagon said Monday.

At least 45 U.S. military members have been injured in the attacks, including 24 with traumatic brain injuries, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said. There have now been 38 total attacks on U.S. bases — 20 in Iraq and 18 in Syria — and eight since Friday.

"We do see these harassing attacks by Iranian proxy groups in Iraq and Syria," Ryder said, adding that they were done by drones and rockets. "And again, I'm not going to telegraph potential future operations on what we may or may not do, but again, we will make sure that we're taking any necessary actions to protect our forces."

Ryder said 32 troops have been injured at al-Tanf in southern Syria and another 13 have been hurt at al Asad Air Base in western Iraq.

"At Al-Asad, the other location we've talked about, no reported increases in TBI cases, so we're still at four. We've had, however, an additional nine personnel diagnosed with other minor injuries along the lines of what I've outlined. There has been one other injury diagnosed, minor injury at Erbil, following an attack there on 26th October," Ryder said.

"I would highlight that all of these injuries occurred prior to the self-defense strikes that we took on 26th October. To my knowledge, there's been no injuries reported since then," he added.

The attacks come after and amid warnings from the Biden administration aimed at the Iran-backed militias not to add to hostilities in the region. The U.S. has fingered Iran for unleashing its proxies against the U.S. over Israel's ongoing efforts in Gaza to wipe out Hamas terrorists.

"It was very important to send a very clear message to anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel here or anywhere else in the region: Don't do it," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday at the Baghdad airport.

The U.S. military conducted airstrikes in Syria on Oct. 26 against facilities used by Iran and its proxies.