Iranian missiles and drones strike Prince Sultan Air Base in major Saudi Arabia escalation; 10 US soldiers wounded | Watch

The shadow war in the Gulf has turned into a direct, lethal confrontation. On Friday (Mar 27), a wave of Iranian ballistic missiles struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, wounding ten American service members and damaging several critical US refuelling aircraft. Two American service members were very seriously hurt, while the other eight sustained serious injuries in the attack. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, were involved in the attack too, according to US and Saudi officials familiar with the strike. Open-source imagery and data circulating online have since confirmed the hit, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Pentagon, however, has yet to comment on the attack on the American air base.

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US war toll continues to rise

It isn't the first time the base has taken a hit. A previous attack damaged five refuelling aircraft. Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry separately confirmed that a ballistic missile targeting its capital, Riyadh, was intercepted and destroyed mid-flight before reaching the capital.

Talking to CBS News, a spokesperson for US Central Command said that more than 300 American troops have been injured in the ongoing US–Iran conflict, with the majority already back on duty. In addition, 13 US service members have been killed during the operations so far.

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Watch a video of the Iranian attack here:

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.