Islamic State militants killed a Navy SEAL in northern Iraq on Tuesday after they penetrated Kurdish defensive lines and launched an attack with small arms and car bombs.
It was the third American combat death in Iraq since the U.S. military deployed advisers and other personnel there in 2014 to support the war against the Islamic State. A Defense official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the servicemember killed was a SEAL.
The SEAL was a member of the U.S. military's advise and assist team and was more than a mile behind Kurdish lines when militants penetrated the defenses, according to a senior U.S. military official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the incident.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter described the fatality as a "combat death" that highlights the dangers American troops face in Iraq, even though they are not engaged in direct fighting with the Islamic State. The name of the serviceman was not released.
"It shows you it's a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq," said Carter, who is in Germany to attend a ceremony at the headquarters of U.S. European Command here.
It was the third American combat death in Iraq since the U.S. military deployed advisers and other personnel there in 2014 to support the war against the Islamic State. A Defense official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the servicemember killed was a SEAL.
The SEAL was a member of the U.S. military's advise and assist team and was more than a mile behind Kurdish lines when militants penetrated the defenses, according to a senior U.S. military official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the incident.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter described the fatality as a "combat death" that highlights the dangers American troops face in Iraq, even though they are not engaged in direct fighting with the Islamic State. The name of the serviceman was not released.
"It shows you it's a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq," said Carter, who is in Germany to attend a ceremony at the headquarters of U.S. European Command here.
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