Two U. S. soldiers were killed and five others wounded in Iraq Sunday, the Department of Defense said.
Aug. 13 (UPI) — Two U. S. soldiers were killed and five others wounded in Iraq Sunday, according to the Department of Defense.
The cause of the casualties has not been released by authorities but « initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact, » the DoD said, adding that the incident is under investigation.
« The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes’ families, friends and teammates, » said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. « There are no words to describe the respect I have for you and sorrow I have for your loss. I hope there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands. »
According to Stars & Stripes, the U. S.-led coalition in Iraq is currently in the process of taking the town of Tal Afar, which is currently held by Islamic State.
Including Sunday’s deaths, the United States’ Operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State has resulted in 43 U. S. soldier fatalities since the mission began in 2014, according to DoD data .
As of June 2,484 civilians have been killed by U. S.-led coalition strikes during that time.
