(NewsNation) — U.S. troops are facing escalating attacks at bases in the Middle East as tensions in the region build one month into the Israel-Hamas war.
In a press briefing, the Pentagon announced 46 American troops have been injured in drone attacks in the past month, more than double the 21 injuries reported Oct. 25.
The Pentagon says the injuries are not serious, and the troops returned to duty soon after.
However, the number could change with reports of traumatic brain injuries coming in, as symptoms can take days or weeks to surface.
This comes as U.S. troops have seen eight more attacks since the weekend. Troops in the Middle East have faced at least 38 attacks since Oct. 18, according to the Pentagon.
In response, the U.S. has increased its force posture in the region to deter future attacks.
In a rare announcement, the U.S. military deployed a nuclear submarine to the Middle East as a warning to Iran-backed Hezbollah and other actors not to join the fight. The submarine joined the two aircraft carriers already in the region.
“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. Our purpose is to ensure that this conflict doesn’t widen out beyond Israel. So I would say that deterrence right now is it’s incredibly strong,” said Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary for the Department of Defense.
