7 casualties in "Operation Epic Fury" as Washington suffers human losses amid Iranian counter-strikes targeting its forces in the Gulf and Israel
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on its X platform account the death of a National Guard soldier in Kuwait on March 6th, due to what it described as a "medical emergency." The statement confirmed that an investigation into the cause of death is currently underway.
With the death of this soldier, the number of US troops killed since the beginning of the offensive on Iran on February 28th has risen to 8 soldiers. In addition, 18 others have been reported wounded, with injuries described as "serious." These casualties come within the framework of the joint military operations being conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Just two hours prior to the announcement of the latest soldier's death, the US military had reported the death of another soldier who succumbed to wounds sustained during the initial Iranian counter-attack a week earlier. The military explained that this service member was critically wounded on March 1st at the site of an attack on US forces in Saudi Arabia.
The statement clarified, "This is the seventh soldier killed in combat operations during 'Operation Epic Fury'," confirming that the identity of the deceased would not be released until 24 hours after their relatives had been notified.
The announcement of the two most recent soldier deaths came a day after US President Donald Trump attended a ceremony for the return of the remains of 6 soldiers killed during the war on Iran.
Context of the Conflict
The US and Israel are jointly waging a widespread offensive against Iran that began on the morning of Saturday, February 28th. The attack has so far resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and dozens of Iranian military commanders, in addition to targeting air defense systems and missile launch platforms.
In response, Tehran has launched a massive wave of missiles targeting various areas in Israel and sites in Gulf countries, resulting in deaths, injuries, and significant destruction of infrastructure.
Source: News Agencies