CBS: United States Evacuates 19 Wounded Service Members from Middle East
The US evacuated 19 wounded troops from the Middle East to Germany, including two injured in a drone explosion, according to CBS News.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The United States has evacuated 19 wounded service members from the Middle East to a military hospital in Germany, according to US officials cited by CBS News.
Officials familiar with the matter said the evacuation flight took place Thursday.
The aircraft departed from Saudi Arabia, stopped in Oman, and then continued to a US base in Germany located near a military hospital.
Among the evacuated personnel were two service members injured when a drone exploded next to their vehicle, according to the report.
The latest evacuation comes after earlier transfers of wounded US troops from the region.
Previously, the US military evacuated dozens of service members injured in a strike on a US facility in Kuwait that killed six people.
About 20 service members arrived Tuesday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany with injuries classified by the military as urgent.
Sources cited by CBS News said those injuries included traumatic brain injuries, memory loss, and concussions.
The evacuation comes amid ongoing US military operations in the region.
Earlier, United States Central Command confirmed the loss of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft over western Iraq during Operation Epic Fury.
CENTCOM said two aircraft were involved in the incident, with one going down in western Iraq while the second landed safely.
The command emphasized that the incident was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire, adding that rescue operations remain underway as authorities gather additional information.
The evacuation of wounded personnel reflects the growing human toll on military forces operating across the region amid expanding conflict.