An estimated 3,000 Fort Bragg soldiers are deploying to the Middle East after an airstrike killed an Iranian general.

President Donald Trump is declaring that a “reign of terror is over” as he marks the death of an Iranian general killed in a U.S. strike. Trump said from Florida that Gen. Qassem Soleimani “made the death of innocent people his sick passion,” and should have been hunted down years ago.

The Pentagon is scrambling to reinforce the American military presence in the Middle East in preparation for reprisals. As part of that, the U.S. is sending nearly 3,000 more Army troops to the Mideast, and it’s placed a brigade in Italy on alert to fly to Beirut if needed to protect the embassy there. 

The 3,000 soldiers will be joining the 650 Fort Bragg paratroopers who were deployed Wednesday morning to the U.S. Central Command area of operations in Iraq as part of the Immediate Response Force.

Feature photo courtesy of Fort Bragg, NC: Fort Bragg soldiers deploying on New Years Day to the U.S. Central Command area of operations in Iraq as part of the Immediate Response Force.

This article was written with the help of the Associated Press.

 

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