US and Iraqi troops conducted a joint operation during which 15 Islamic State militants were killed. This was reported on Friday, August 30, by the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
According to a press release from the command, the joint operation was carried out in an undisclosed location in western Iraq. CENTCOM reported that the militants killed were armed with weapons, including grenades and suicide belts. The press release clarified that there were no signs of civilian casualties, Voice of America reports.
“This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade [the organization's] ability to plan, organize, and carry out attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond,”– the US military reports. ISIS (which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) was the original name of the organization, later shortened to the Islamic State. ISIS and its cells around the world are recognized as a terrorist organization in the United States.
Central Command stressed that ISIS “remains a threat to the region, our allies, and our country,” vowing to continue pursuing terrorists together with coalition partners and the Iraqi military.
Washington has maintained a permanent presence in Iraq since 2003. American troops left the country in 2011, but returned in 2014 to help the government in Baghdad defeat the Islamic State. There are about 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against ISIS, and another 900 US troops are in Syria.
Earlier this year, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced “the beginning of the first round of bilateral dialogue between Iraq and the United States of America on the completion of the coalition mission in Iraq.” At present, no specific dates for the possible withdrawal of troops have been made public.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga