German soldiers from the international coalition forces in the town of Qadiya, in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, on March 8, 2023. (Credit: ISMAEL ADNAN/AFP via Getty Images)

United States forces and The international coalition to fight ISIS Iraq and Syria were attacked eight more times over the weekend, bringing the total to at least 38 attacks since October 17.

A US official said on Monday that US forces had been attacked since Friday by Iranian-backed groups on eight other occasions using drones and multiple missile attacks.

On Friday afternoon, a drone was shot down near Al-Shaddadi in Syria, with no casualties or damage to infrastructure reported. On Saturday morning, another drone was shot down near Al-Shaddadi, with no casualties or damage to infrastructure reported.

The frequency of attacks increased on Sunday, with a total of five separate incidents occurring; Drones were shot down near Tal Baydar (Syria), in the Al-Tanf garrison (Syria), and three times near Al-Asad Air Base (Iraq). The attack on Assad also included bombing with several missiles and drones.

Another drone was shot down near Tal Baydar (Syria) on Monday morning. None of the weekend attacks caused casualties or damage to infrastructure, according to the US official.

The American official said: “Our forces successfully thwarted the majority of these attacks.” “Most of them failed to achieve their goals thanks to our strong defenses.”

With the events of the weekend, there have now been at least 38 attacks against US and coalition forces since October 17.

The Pentagon also updated on Monday the number of US troops reporting casualties due to increasingly frequent attacks in Iraq and Syria. Defense Department spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said more than 20 other people reported minor injuries. The Pentagon last said on October 25 that 21 US service members reported minor injuries.

Five other soldiers from the Al-Tanf garrison in Syria were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and 10 other people were diagnosed with other minor injuries, which Ryder said could include “shrapnel, headaches, perforated eardrums, tinnitus and a sprained ankle.” , etc.” In Iraq, 10 people were diagnosed with minor injuries: nine at Al-Asad Air Base and one in Erbil.

Ryder also added that of the US soldiers previously diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries who returned to duty, two have since been transferred to Landstuhl, Germany, for further testing. Ryder said they were in stable condition, and the evaluation was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

Ryder added that all of the infections occurred before the US attacks on facilities used by Iranian-backed groups on October 26.

“This can happen for several reasons: People who initially ignore the severity of the injuries they have suffered, whether caused by a direct or indirect explosion, may delay reporting or seeking treatment, or symptoms that appear after initial notification may prompt employees to “Seek care later,” Ryder said. “Data reporting therefore relies heavily on self-reporting when injuries are not readily apparent to medical personnel providing care immediately after an incident occurs.”