At least 130 US personnel — including spies, diplomats and soldiers — have suffered brain damage and other significant injuries as a result of suspected “directed-energy” attacks, according to a report.
The number, reported by the New York Times on Wednesday, is more than double the 60 confirmed cases previously known and does not include the total number of injured.
The number of cases specifically within the CIA, State Department, Defense Department and elsewhere, according to the paper, caused considerable unease within the Biden administration.
The cases were originally only believed to have occurred in China and Cuba, but the new total adds occurrences in Europe and elsewhere in Asia.
Directed-energy weapons use lasers, microwaves and particle beams to hit their target.
At least three CIA officers have reported alarming incidents since December, with all undergoing outpatient treatment as a result.
In one 2019 case, the outlet reported, a military officer driving with his 2-year-old son while serving overseas became overcome with nausea and headaches after pulling over at an intersection. The young boy also began crying in the backseat.
After driving away, the pain stopped and the child ceased crying.
Both were treated by the US government afterward.
Reached for comment by the Times, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said, “As of now, we have no definitive information about the cause of these incidents, and it is premature and irresponsible to speculate.”
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
A Politico report earlier this week alleged that US officials suspect Russia’s top foreign intelligence agency of being behind suspected attacks against American government personnel.
Speaking to the outlet Monday, three current and former officials said the US suspected the GRU was behind the attacks, but did not yet have a smoking gun to prove it.
The intelligence community has not yet reached a consensus on the information, nor has it made a formal assessment.
Officials have told lawmakers, the outlet reported, that they had intensified their investigation in recent weeks, zeroing in on the GRU’s possible involvement.
Late last month, Pentagon officials briefed lawmakers with the necessary security clearances on the suspected attacks, at the time reported to be against US troops as opposed to government employees.
The briefings included intelligence about injuries to US troops in Syria, specifically one incident that occurred in the war-torn country in the fall of 2020.