The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday confirmed that two U.S. military personnel were injured in a raid in Iraq on Tuesday, which resulted in the deaths of several Islamic State (ISIS) leaders, and at least seven of their operatives.
The attack comes after Pentagon officials announced last month that it would end the current operation to beat back ISIS by 2026, which would likely scale back the number of soldiers in the region. There are approximately 2,500 U.S. troops currently in Iraq, according to The Hill.
CENTCOM said on Wednesday that the strikes and raids targeted multiple ISIS locations in Central Iraq. The operation was led by Iraqi forces and the injuries occurred when the military personnel were assisting the soldiers with site exploitation.
The two U.S. troops are in stable condition and have been transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
“Overnight, CENTCOM and Iraqi security forces conducted a partner raid in Iraq targeting several senior ISIS leaders,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a briefing, per CNN. “The raid resulted in the death of multiple ISIS operatives.”
Ryder said that the department is still conducting a “post-mission analysis” on the raid, but a statement from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said the operation resulted in the destruction of a workshop for "booby-trapping and manufacturing explosive devices." Forces also seized a large quantity of "weapons, ammunition, and equipment."
The Pentagon has not revealed the identities of the terrorists who were killed in the operation, but Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani claimed ISIS group commander Jassim al-Mazroui Abu Abdul Qader was among those killed.
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