A U.S. service member died Saturday during a mission in Ninewah province, Iraq.
The American was conducting a planned operation alongside Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. officials said in a press release.
“We cannot confirm details of the incident at this time, pending an investigation,” officials told Military Times when asked whether the death occurred during combat.
The name of the service member will be withheld until notification of next of kin, officials said.
The service member was part of the Inherent Resolve coalition, which is tasked with ensuring the defeat of the Islamic State.
Since ISIS’ territorial defeat in eastern Syria, the terror group has shifted back to insurgency tactics in the region. U.S. forces in northeastern Syria faced a car bomb attack in January, for instance, in an area that was liberated from ISIS back in February 2016.
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American forces have suffered two hostile deaths during the Inherent Resolve mission this year, and 16 over the course of the entire operation, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System.
A suicide bomber killed an Army special operator and Navy cryptologic technician in Manbij, Syria, in early January. A DoD civilian was also killed in the blast.
A British and American special operator were killed in March 2018 by the accidental detonation of explosives carried by coalition forces, rather than in a roadside bomb as previously believed.
There have been nine U.S. troops wounded in action this year, and 79 over the course of Inherent Resolve, according to DCAS.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
