The United States military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country’s western desert that killed at least 15 people and saw seven American troops hurt, officials said Saturday. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces have fought the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous ones.
Quick Read
- A joint U.S.-Iraq military raid targeting Islamic State militants in Iraq’s western desert resulted in 15 deaths and left seven American troops injured, according to officials on Saturday.
- The raid, which took place on Thursday, aimed to disrupt and degrade the Islamic State group’s ability to plan and conduct attacks against civilians and U.S. interests in the region.
- The militants were reportedly armed with weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide belts during the operation in Iraq’s Anbar Desert, as confirmed by U.S. Central Command.
- The Iraqi military announced that key ISIS leaders were among the dead, with all hideouts, weapons, and logistical support destroyed.
- Five American troops were wounded in the raid, with two others injured due to falls during the operation; one was evacuated for further treatment.
- The U.S. military’s acknowledgment of involvement came two days after the raid, with Iraq initially not disclosing U.S. participation as the presence of American troops in Iraq remains a controversial topic.
- The raid comes amid increased attacks by Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, with the group claiming 153 attacks in the first half of 2024, up from 121 in all of 2023.
- U.S. troops in Iraq have also been targeted by Iranian-backed militias, particularly since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, raising tensions about the continued U.S. military presence in the region.
The Associated Press has the story:
7 US troops hurt in raid with Iraqi forces targeting Islamic State group militants that killed 15
Newslooks- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —
The United States military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country’s western desert that killed at least 15 people and saw seven American troops hurt, officials said Saturday. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces have fought the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous ones.
The U.S. military’s Central Command alleged the militants were armed with “numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts” during the attack Thursday, which Iraqi forces said happened in the country’s Anbar Desert. “This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS’ ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond,” Central Command said, using an acronym for the militant group. “Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided.”
It added: “There is no indication of civilian casualties.” An Iraqi military statement said “airstrikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation.” “Among the dead were key ISIS leaders,” Iraq’s military said, without identifying them. “All hideouts, weapons and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized.”
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the operation yet to be made public, told The Associated Press that five American troops were wounded in the raid, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation. One who suffered a fall was transported out of the region, while one of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment, the official said. “All personnel are in stable condition,” the official said.
It wasn’t immediately clear why it took two days for the U.S. to acknowledge it took part in the raid. Iraq did not say the U.S. took part in the operation when initially announcing it, as politicians debate the future of having American troops in the country. There are approximately 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Since the U.S. toppled dictator Saddam Hussein with its 2003 invasion of Iraq, the country has struggled to balance relations between America and neighboring Iran. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Iraqi militias allied to Iran have targeted U.S. forces there, leading to American airstrikes targeting them.
At its peak, the Islamic State group ruled an area half the size of the U.K. It attempted to enforce its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates.
A coalition of more than 80 countries led by the United States was formed to fight the group, which lost its hold on the territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. However, the militants have continued to operate in the Anbar Desert in Iraq and Syria, while claiming attacks carried out by others elsewhere in the world inspired by the group. That includes the two suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows in Vienna. Meanwhile, the IS branch in Afghanistan is known to carry out intensely bloody assaults.
Last month, the U.S. military said the number of attacks claimed by IS in Syria and Iraq was on track to double this year, compared with the year before. IS claimed 153 attacks in the two countries in the first six months of 2024, compared with 121 attacks in all of 2023.
Iraqi officials say that they can keep the IS threat under control with their own forces and have entered into talks with the U.S. aimed at winding down the mission of the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza last October, U.S. military presence in the region has become particularly contentious.
An umbrella group of Iran-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has periodically launched drone attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, which they said was in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza and were aimed at forcing U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq.
