Iran conflict

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has updated its casualty figures for the conflict with Iran, reporting that 18 US service members have been killed and 624 wounded since the fighting began, according to newly released Defense Department data.

The Pentagon said it updated its Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), adding more than 140 newly reported wounded personnel and restoring four service members recently killed in Iranian attacks to its casualty database.

According to US media reports, the Pentagon has also introduced a new “Overseas Operations” category in the DCAS to track service members killed or wounded in overseas missions since July 7.

When combined with the latest figures from Operation Epic Fury, the updated data show that 18 U.S. troops have been killed and 624 injured since the conflict with Iran began on Feb. 28, a significant increase from the previously reported total of 482 wounded, according to the reports.

The Pentagon said 11 of the 18 fatalities were members of the U.S. Army, six served in the U.S. Air Force, and one was a member of the U.S. Navy. Among the wounded, 461 were Army personnel, 86 served in the Navy, 58 in the Air Force and 19 in the Marine Corps.

The casualty reporting system came under criticism last week from lawmakers and media organizations after the DCAS database appeared to undercount U.S. casualties despite continued Iranian attacks. The Pentagon said the newly created “Overseas Operations” category includes casualties recorded after July 7, although it does not specify which conflict each casualty is associated with.

The updated database includes the names of troops killed in overseas operations, including three U.S. service members killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan and one soldier killed last week while helping neutralize an Iranian drone in northern Iraq, according to U.S. media reports.