ANKARA

A devastating Iranian drone strike on a tactical operations center in Kuwait early this month, just after the start of the US-Israeli offensive on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliation, was far more severe than the Defense Department previously disclosed, according to US media.

Although early March 1 reports indicated minimal losses, updated findings disclose a catastrophic and disorderly aftermath at Kuwait City's Shuaiba Port, multiple sources told CBS News.

The strike claimed the lives of six US service members and left dozens more with life-altering injuries, including severe burns, shrapnel wounds, and traumatic brain injuries.

More than 60 US troops were injured in the attack – far more than earlier Pentagon figures, the sources told CBS.

Two service members initially listed as missing were later recovered from the debris, while over 30 personnel remained hospitalized as of Tuesday night, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The injured personnel were rapidly evacuated from Kuwait for specialized care.

Approximately 20 service members with "urgent" injuries, including concussions and memory loss, were airlifted to military medical centers aboard medical transport aircraft equipped for in-flight intensive care.

The Pentagon has not yet detailed the full scope of casualties or specific engagement rules under Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing military campaign against Iran.

However, overall US losses since the conflict began on Feb. 28 stand at seven service members killed and some 140 wounded, according to Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson.

The strike was executed by an Iranian Shahed-series “kamikaze” drone, which evaded radar detection to hit the strategic US logistics center at Shuaiba Port, a critical hub since the 1990s.

The strike follows a pattern of disarray at the site since the war began.

On March 1, a major friendly fire incident saw Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly down three US F-15E Strike Eagle jets, with all crew members safely recovered.

As Operation Epic Fury intensifies, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warn that additional American casualties remain likely.

In January 2020, in retaliation for the US assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian missile strike on US bases in Iraq left over 100 service members with traumatic brain injuries. At the time, serving his first term, Trump downplayed the injuries, saying: “I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report it is not very serious.”

*Writing by Selcuk Uysal