Eight U.S. Marines Injured In Iranian Missile Strike On Ship In Strait Of Hormuz

Eight US Marines were injured when an Iranian anti-ship cruise missile hit a vessel they were travelling on in the Strait of Hormuz on September 14, according to three US officials cited by NBC News.

The Marines were crossing the Strait of Hormuz when the missile struck. They were not on a US Navy ship, the officials said. The type of vessel has not been disclosed.

The attack was not reported publicly at the time. The injuries have now been added to the number of US service members hurt during the seven-month-old war with Iran.

The eight Marines were part of a battalion landing team. The group included seven enlisted Marines and one officer.

None of them was seriously injured. They suffered smoke inhalation and possible traumatic brain injuries. Some also had concussion symptoms, including headaches.

All eight returned to duty soon after the attack, according to the officials.

The eight Marines were added to the Defence Casualty Analysis System nearly 10 days after the attack, NBC News reported.

The system showed 861 US service members had been injured in the Iran war as of Wednesday.

A US official told NBC News that injury reports can sometimes take time because symptoms may not appear or be reported immediately. The official also said the system is not updated in real time.

The Pentagon also updated its public count of troops wounded in the war to 37 this week, according to The Washington Post. The Defence Department did not explain the change.

The two figures are different. The information provided does not explain why the Pentagon’s public figure is 37 while the Defence Casualty Analysis System lists 861 injured service members.

More than half of the 861 injured service members were listed under “Overseas Operations” after a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran began in July.

The ceasefire later broke down.

Before the ceasefire, killed and wounded US military personnel were listed under “Operation Epic Fury”. After the September 14 attack, the eight Marines were added to the Overseas Operations category.

References: AOL, Hindustan Times