The US military announced that a service member died in a controlled explosion of an Iranian drone that had been shot down in Iraq. The confirmation follows earlier reports of the death.
The US Army confirmed Sunday night (23:20 Jerusalem) that a US soldier was killed in a controlled explosion of an Iranian drone that had been shot down in Iraq. The statement did not specify the exact location or time of the incident.
The confirmation follows a sequence of reports this evening. At 22:14 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that i24NEWS had cited an unidentified source saying a US soldier was killed in such an explosion in northern Iraq. Minutes later, also at 22:14 Jerusalem, CENTCOM officially confirmed the death, adding credibility to the initial report. The US Army's statement now provides the highest level of official corroboration.
The death is the latest in a series of American casualties attributed to Iranian-backed attacks. As The Zioneer reported on Sunday evening, three other US soldiers were killed in the past 24 hours: two in a drone strike on a base in Jordan, where remains were found, and one in a separate incident in northern Iraq. The total number of US soldiers killed in the current wave is now four.
It remains unclear where exactly in Iraq the controlled explosion occurred, and the US Army has not released the soldier's identity. The military has not commented on whether the drone was retrieved for intelligence purposes.
3 developments
- StrongUS Army confirms body of missing soldier found in Jordan, reports another soldier killed in Iraq
- StrongUS official: Iranian missile and drone salvo caused no American casualties or damage
- StrongIranian Official Reportedly Says Downing of US Helicopter Was Intentional
- DevelopingReport: American drone shot down over Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake