Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder discussed the developments in the Middle East during his daily press conference.
In response to a question about attacks on US and coalition forces, Ryder said, "I can tell you that between October 17-26, US and coalition forces were attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria with one-way attack drones and rockets."
Ryder stated that they will continue to revise these figures as new information comes in, and about the groups that claimed responsibility for the attacks, Ryder said, "I will not give detailed information except to say that we know that these groups are linked to Iran."
Deploying 900 US troops to the Middle East
The Pentagon spokesperson also announced at the meeting that 900 troops and additional air defense systems will be deployed to the Middle East in an effort to prevent the wider spread of conflict in the region.
"I can confirm that nearly 900 troops have deployed or are in the process of deploying to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility since our initial force posture announcement," Ryder said.
He noted that these units will be accompanied by Regional High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) batteries, Patriot and Avenger batteries, and related air defense system elements, all of which are intended to support regional deterrence efforts.
The United States also plans to provide Israel with two US Iron Dome systems in its inventory to "further strengthen its air defense capabilities," Ryder said, adding that for operational security reasons, he would not provide information on shipment or delivery dates.
Pentagon: 16 attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria since October 17!
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that a total of 16 attacks were launched against US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria between October 17-26.
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