The Pentagon has not included four soldiers who died over the weekend in its official online list of service members who have been killed in the ongoing war, according to multiple reports.
According to numerous reports, the current list on the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System shows that 14 people have died in the ongoing conflict, despite the department announcing that four other soldiers had died last weekend.
Meanwhile, another Names of Fallen list on the Pentagon’s website includes 13 service members, not 18.
It comes amid the ongoing conflict that seemingly has no end following multiple ceasefires and disrupted negotiations dating back to the initial Feb. 28 strikes.
Dead Soldiers Identified
The soldiers killed in Jordan were identified by the Defense Department last week as Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; and Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. The soldier who disappeared after the Jordan attacks is Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, the Defense Department said.
Meanwhile, the soldier killed in Iraq was identified as Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, who lived in Spring Lake, North Carolina.
The New York Times initially reported the change in count of dead troops on Thursday. Citing unnamed military officials, the publication said the names of those killed were taken off the list because their deaths came after President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire in April.
But the acting press secretary for the Pentagon, Joel Valdez, told the publication that the change was because of “temporary data disruptions” on the department’s casualty website. He said these issues would be fixed.
The conflict, which included Israel joining the U.S. in those air strikes against Iran, has intensified in recent days, and an interim deal agreed last month to end the fighting has collapsed.
Iran has attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for international trade, as US military strikes on Iran entered their 13th consecutive night. Iranian state media said four people have been killed, and five people have been injured because of these strikes.
Trump’s Asset Threat
As the conflict continues, Trump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue.
“Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,” Trump said in a post on social media.
Read the full article here