US military says 15 ISIL fighters killed in joint raid with Iraqi forces

Seven US soldiers were injured; Iraq’s military says air strikes killed key members of the group.

The United States military has said that 15 ISIL (ISIS) fighters were killed in a joint raid with Iraqi security forces in western Iraq.

Seven US soldiers were injured in the combined operation that took place on Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday.

The raid came as the US and Iraq have been in talks about their joint security mission in the country.

The fighters were “armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts”, CENTCOM said on X.

It did not report any civilian casualties.

Five US soldiers were wounded in the operation while two others were hurt in falls, a US military official told The Associated Press news agency. “All personnel are in stable condition,” the official said.

“ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland,” CENTCOM said, adding that the US “will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists” alongside its coalition and Iraqi partners.

Iraq’s military said, “air strikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation”.

“Among the dead were key [ISIL] leaders,” it added. “All hideouts, weapons, and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized.”

The end date for the US-led coalition’s mission, stationed both in Iraq and Syria as a presence against ISIL, was recently postponed.

According to the Reuters news agency, talks on the subject may not conclude until after the US presidential elections in November.

Iraq hosts about 2,500 US soldiers and also has Iran-aligned militias linked to its security forces.

There are about 900 US soldiers in Syria as part of the coalition against ISIL.

Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to Israel’s war in Gaza, which broke out in October 2023, has drawn in Iran-linked armed groups across the Middle East.

Earlier this month, at least five US personnel were injured in an attack against a military base in Iraq.

From October to February, an umbrella group of Iran-aligned groups – called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq – launched regular drone attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria.

At its peak in 2014, ISIL fighters controlled one-third of Iraq and Syria.

A US-led coalition of more than 80 countries forced the group out of its territory in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019.

But some fighters remain in hiding, mainly in remote areas, from where they continue to carry out attacks, while also claiming attacks carried out by others elsewhere in the world inspired by the group.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies