US military denies strike on Iran sports hall

The US military denied carrying out a strike on a sports hall and nearby residential area in the Iranian city of Lamerd, rejecting findings from a New York Times investigation.

New York Times found that a short-range US ballistic missile called the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was used in a deadly attack on a sports hall and residential area in the city of Lamerd on 28 February.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that some 15 people were killed in the attack on the Lamerd gymnasium, where children were playing.

Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said the military had reviewed the incident and “confirmed the accusations are false.”

Hawkins said US forces did not launch any strikes into Lamerd during the early days of the war and disputed claims that a Precision Strike Missile was used.

“A PrSM is 13 feet in length… The munition depicted in the video appears to be twice as long,” he said.