The U.S. Department of Defense has moved the records of four American service members killed in attacks linked to Iran from its main military casualty database to a separate reporting category, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP).
AP reported that the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) had traditionally listed U.S. military personnel killed or wounded in combat. However, the four fatalities, along with information on numerous injured service members, were recently transferred to a new category covering overseas operations.
The updated section includes the names of the four deceased service members and 207 injured U.S. troops. However, the report noted that it is not confirmed that all 207 personnel were wounded directly during the conflict involving Iran.
Responding to questions about the change, Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez said the adjustment resulted from data inconsistencies and temporary technical issues. He maintained that the problem would be corrected as quickly as possible.
The change has nevertheless raised concerns about transparency in the reporting of military casualties. According to AP, since the conflict intensified, the Pentagon has released significantly less information about troop casualties and military operations than it had previously.
The report also noted that the Pentagon has not held an official press briefing on the conflict since early May, while U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has stopped issuing its regular casualty updates for journalists.
The reporting changes come as Iran continues to claim that its military operations have killed at least 200 U.S. troops over the past 15 days. Those claims, however, have not been independently verified, and U.S. officials have not confirmed the figures.
