Soldier Killed In Iraq Is First US Troop To Die During Combat With ISIS

An American soldier was killed during a raid on an ISIS compound in northern Iraq on Thursday.

The service member was the first American killed in combat in Iraq since the start of the operation against ISIS in 2014.

Special operation troops, along with Iraqi forces, raided the compound on a mission to free prisoners held by the Islamic State. The Pentagon said the troops learned there was an impending mass execution, which led to the mission, according to The New York Times.

About 70 prisoners were reportedly freed, including over 20 from Iraqi security forces.

According to the Pentagon, five ISIS fighters were detained and several killed, but a statement from the Kurdish government said over 20 ISIS fighters were killed, Huffington Post reports.

Details of the operation are murky. A Defense Department official said the American service person was hit in a firefight and died after receiving medical treatment.

The prisoners who were freed were told by ISIS they would be executed at dawn on Thursday, The New York Times reports.

Update 10/23: The soldier has been identified as Delta Force commando Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler of Roland, Oklahoma. He was 39 years old.

Citations: U.S. Serviceman Killed In Hostage Rescue Mission In Iraq (Huffington Post)