8 US Marines hurt in previously unreported Iranian strikes; possible brain injuries

File photo: Vessel attacked in Strait of Hormuz

Eight US Marines were injured in a previously undisclosed attack in the Strait of Hormuz on September 14, NBC News reported, citing three US officials.The Marines were part of a battalion landing team when the missile hit the vessel, the officials said.

Seven were enlisted personnel and one was an officer. None suffered serious injuries, but they experienced smoke inhalation and concussion-like symptoms, including headaches, with officials saying some may have sustained traumatic brain injuries.All eight returned to duty shortly after the attack, according to the officials.

Marines were not aboard US Navy ship

The vessel struck in the attack was not a US Navy ship, according to the officials, who did not identify its type and referred to it only as a maritime vessel.The Pentagon did not publicly report the September 14 attack or the injuries at the time. The eight Marines were added to the Defense Casualty Analysis System nearly 10 days after the incident.One US official attributed the delay partly to injuries such as concussion symptoms that can take time to emerge, as well as the casualty database not being updated in real time.As of Wednesday, the Pentagon database had recorded 861 US service members as injured in the war with Iran, with the eight Marines included in that tally.

Pentagon casualty figures under scrutiny

The disclosure comes as the Pentagon faces renewed scrutiny over how it reports US military casualties in the conflict.A Washington Post report said at least four US service members killed in the Middle East since the war began were not reflected in the official casualty count at the time. The Pentagon has also faced accusations of downplaying some injuries reported by wounded troops.The US military has disputed those allegations, saying casualty classifications such as “not seriously injured” and “combat casualty” have specific definitions that can be misunderstood.The newly reported Marine injuries add another previously undisclosed incident to the broader debate over how quickly US military casualties are recorded and publicly reported during the conflict.