International Courant
U.S. and Iraqi forces have raided western Iraq, focusing on ISIS leaders and killing 15 ISIS militants, the U.S. Central Command mentioned in an announcement.
Seven U.S. service members who took half within the raid early Thursday morning have been wounded or injured within the bigger operation, in response to a protection official, who mentioned all the service members have been in secure situation.
“United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces and Iraqi safety forces carried out a joint raid into western Iraq within the early morning of August 29, killing 15 ISIS members,” a U.S. Central Command assertion mentioned Friday night.
“This operation focused ISIS leaders to disrupt and weaken ISIS’s capability to plan, arrange, and conduct assaults towards Iraqi civilians, in addition to U.S. residents, allies, and companions within the area and past,” the report mentioned.
“The ISIS aspect was armed with quite a few weapons, grenades and explosive ‘suicide’ belts,” the assertion mentioned. “There aren’t any indications of civilian casualties.”
In accordance with the Safety Media Cell, a press wing of the Iraqi prime minister’s workplace, Iraqi forces continued to make arrests and raid websites within the nation linked to ISIS on Saturday.
The Joint Operations Command Forces killed “14 terrorists, together with leaders of the terrorist group ISIS” on August 29, the Safety Media Cell mentioned in an announcement on X.
The Pentagon seal within the Pentagon Briefing Room in Arlington, Virginia, on September 1, 2021.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos, FILE
The prime minister’s workplace mentioned the lifeless included “essential first-rank leaders” of ISIS. The names of the victims could be launched later.
The operation took two months to plan, together with monitoring “the presence of key ISIS leaders.” Describing the raid, they mentioned airstrikes have been adopted by airborne items “with cooperation and coordination of intelligence and technical personnel from the worldwide coalition,” the assertion mentioned.
Seven US service members have been wounded within the operation, two protection officers mentioned.
“5 U.S. personnel have been injured throughout the operation. One of many injured was evacuated for additional remedy,” a U.S. protection official instructed ABC Information.
“Two further U.S. personnel have been injured in falls throughout the operation, and one was additionally evacuated from the working room for follow-up care. All personnel are in secure situation,” the U.S. official mentioned.
Joint navy incursions into Iraq usually contain particular forces, though CENTCOM’s assertion didn’t specify which items could be deployed within the operation.
There are nonetheless 2,500 American troops in Iraq, on a prepare and on a mission to assist Iraqi forces combat ISIS.
Earlier this 12 months, america and Iraq entered into discussions a few doable discount within the function of the worldwide navy coalition helping Iraq, which may result in a discount within the variety of American troops.
