Aug 30 (Reuters) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday its forces conducted a partnered raid with the Iraqi Security Forces in western Iraq in the early hours of Aug. 29, resulting in the deaths of 15 Islamic State (ISIS) operatives and the injury of seven U.S. military personnel.
“The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive “suicide” belts,” CENTCOM said on Friday. It also added that there were no indications of civilian casualties in the raid.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that during the operation, five U.S. personnel were wounded. One of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment. Two additional U.S. personnel were injured from falls during the operation, with one also evacuated out of the area for further treatment. All personnel are in stable condition.
At least five U.S. personnel were injured in an attack earlier this month against a military base in Iraq.
Later, Iraq’s foreign ministry said that an announcement on an end date for the U.S.-led coalition’s mission had been postponed due to the “latest developments”, without identifying the developments.
Reuters reported in March that talks between the U.S. and Iraq on ending the U.S.-led military coalition in the country may not be concluded until after U.S. presidential elections in November.
A rare ally of both the U.S. and Iran, Iraq hosts 2,500 U.S. troops and has Iran-backed militias linked to its security forces.
(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Diane Craft)
