Eight US Marines injured in recent, undisclosed Iranian attack on ship in Hormuz - report

Eight US Marines were injured in an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on September 14, NBC reported Sunday evening, citing three US sources. 

The Marines were not seriously injured by the Iranian cruise missile hit on the vessel, but they sustained smoke inhalation and showed symptoms of concussions, including headaches, according to the report.

The Marines were not on a US Navy ship, but the officials did not share what type of ship it was. 

All eight service members returned to duty soon after the attack.

The Defense Department did not disclose any attack taking place on September 14 or any injuries sustained.

Pentagon accused of misrepresenting casualty count

The Pentagon's public account of US service member casualties has come under scrutiny, with a Washington Post report emerging on Friday that said that at least four service members killed in the Middle East since the start of the war were not represented in the official casualty count.  

The Defense Department has also been accused of downplaying injuries by wounded soldiers who spoke to CBS News. 

One soldier described suffering severe shrapnel wounds and undergoing multiple emergency surgeries in Kuwait. A US Army official told his wife that his injuries were "minor."

The US military has strongly disputed this claim, telling CBS that military designations, including “not seriously injured” and “combat casualty,” have specific definitions that have been misconstrued.

"The care and well-being of our soldiers is of the highest priority," CBS cited an army spokesperson as writing. "Any assertion that the army seeks to downplay a soldier's injuries is simply not true."