U.S. and Iraqi military forces eliminated 15 ISIS militants during a raid conducted on Thursday morning in Western Iraq, resulting in injuries to seven American service members, as reported by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday evening.
According to CENTCOM’s announcement on X, the ISIS combatants were equipped with an array of weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide vests. The Daily Caller News Foundation corroborated that seven U.S. service members sustained wounds or injuries during the operation.
“During the operation, five U.S. personnel were wounded. One of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment,” a defense official told the DCNF. “Two additional U.S. personnel were injured from falls during the operation, with one also evacuated out of theater for follow on care. All personnel are in stable condition.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces and Iraqi Security Forces conducted a partnered raid in Western Iraq in the early hours of Aug. 29, resulting in the death of 15 ISIS operatives. The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive "suicide" belts. There… pic.twitter.com/fCOFyxtke1
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 31, 2024
In its announcement regarding the raid, CENTCOM indicated that the operation aimed at “ISIS leaders.”
“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,” CENTCOM wrote in its post to X. “Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided. ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. U.S. CENTCOM alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
Military operations conducted in collaboration with Iraqi forces frequently include U.S. special operations personnel, as reported by ABC News. However, CENTCOM’s statement does not specify which branches of the U.S. military participated in this specific operation. Currently, there are around 2,500 American troops stationed in Iraq to provide training and advisory support to Iraqi forces in their efforts against ISIS.
In 2024, ISIS-affiliated terrorists have executed significant attacks in Russia, Iran, and various locations in the Middle East. Additionally, authorities successfully disrupted a plot by an ISIS-linked group to target a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria, earlier in August. In April, eight individuals from Tajikistan with connections to ISIS were apprehended during coordinated operations across the United States, as officials feared they might have been planning an attack on American soil; these individuals had entered the U.S. through the southern border between 2023 and 2024.
