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By John Ogunsemore
The United States Central Command said on Sunday that three soldiers have been killed in action and five others seriously wounded in the ongoing US-Israeli offensive against Iran.
Several more service members sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are expected to return to duty.
The casualties mark the first confirmed American service members killed since the commencement of
Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iran.
Large-scale strikes across Iran have led to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian officials.
The command’s announcement follows Iran’s retaliatory barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting US military installations and allies across the Middle East, including sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, and other locations hosting American forces. Iranian strikes have also hit civilian areas in Israel, with reports of at least eight deaths near Jerusalem.
The US Central Command said the names of the American troops killed would not be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
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In announcing the operation against Iran on Saturday, US President Donald Trump had said it was a possibility that US service members could be killed.
“That often happens in war,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) said it attacked American aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, BBC reports quoting Iranian state media.
USS Abraham Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy.
Responding, the US Central Command said the carrier was not struck by Iranian missiles.
“The missiles launched didn’t even come close,” the command said.
It added that the Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of its “relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime”.
