900 US troops heading to Middle East to bolster defenses as attacks surge

About 900 more US troops have arrived in the Middle East or are heading there to bolster air defenses for US personnel amid a surge in attacks, the Pentagon said on Thursday. As tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas war, the United States and coalition troops have been attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria in the last week, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.