U.S. Airstrikes Pound Islamic State (ISIS) Fighters in Response
File photo: Ashton Carter seen on July 20, 2012. (Photo: REUTERS)
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced on Tuesday morning that a U.S. service member was killed “in the neighborhood” of the northern Iraq city of Irbil. Speaking to reporters while traveling in Stuttgart, Germany, Secretary Carter offered few details but PPD has confirmed ISIS was responsible.
“It is a combat death, of course,” Secretary Carter said.
However, a Pentagon official who asked not to be named added that the service member was “killed by direct fire” about 9:30 a.m. local time when Islamic State fighters breached the Kurdish peshmerga’s front lines. The American was about three to five kilometers behind the front lines.
“We provided air support to help the [Peshmerga] counter this attack,” the official said.
What followed was a staggering 23 total airstrikes on the ISIS fighters, using F-15 fighters and drones.
No further details were immediately available.
