Reuters is reporting more than 100 diagnoses of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among U.S. troops resulting from the Iranian missile attack on the Ain al-Asad base on Jan. 8 in Iraq, an attack U.S. officials claimed initially caused no harm.
"No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties. All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases." — President Donald Trump
Reports of possible injury began trickling in days after the attack, according to CNN. Several soldiers were transported from the base to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to be assessed for concussion-like symptoms, a mild form of TBI.
Last month ended with 64 reported diagnoses. On Monday, a U.S. official, on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters the numbers have jumped 64%, to more than 100 cases.
Even though a mild TBI might be missed because of no visible head injuries, the effects are still dangerous.
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reports that most TBI injuries are considered mild but can have long-term effects on cognitive functions and even lead to permanent neurological damage.
»MORE: Georgia lawmakers divided in response to Iranian missile attack
When asked about initial reports of TBI symptoms in a news conference at the World Economic Forum, Trump said, "No, I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it's not very serious."
The Pentagon has made no comment about the reported increased number of TBI cases.
The U.S. military is preparing an official report, according to Reuters.
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