Servet Gunerigok
07 November 2023•Update: 08 November 2023
WASHINGTON
The Pentagon said Tuesday that it is "seeing an uptick" in the attacks blamed on Iran-backed groups targeting the US bases in the Middle East.
"We're seeing an uptick in attacks but so far, we have not seen any significant casualties, we've not seen significant damage to our infrastructure," Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters during a press briefing at the Defense Department.
When asked if the US deterrence works against Iran-backed militias that are accused of attacking the US bases in Syria and Iraq since mid-October, Singh said: "Deterrence right now is incredibly strong on our side.
"We are sending an incredible message to any state or non-state actor that would want to seek to get involved in the conflict ... And so again, while we see these attacks increase, we're not seeing significant casualties or significant harm to our service members," she added.
Singh said between Oct. 17 and Nov. 7, US forces have been attacked at least 40 times, with 22 times in Iraq and 18 times in Syria.
"That's a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets," she added.
The total number of injured service members stands at 46.
Iran-backed groups have recently increased their attacks on US forces in the region after the Israeli army stepped up its strikes on the Gaza Strip last month.
