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US Air Force Major General Pat Ryder briefs reporters at the Pentagon on September 3, 2024. Photo: Rudaw/screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Pentagon chief spokesperson US Air Force Major General Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that the role of the US forces in Iraq has not changed, days after the they carried out a partnered raid against the Islamic State (ISIS) in western Anbar province.
Answering Rudaw’s question about whether the role of the US forces in Iraq has been restored to combat forces following the August 29 raid on ISIS suspects, the Pentagon spokesperson denied any changes.
“No it is not and again, this was a partner operation, and as I highlighted earlier, the United States will work with partners and allies around the world, and if there is a potential threat against US national security and partner security, we'll work together to address that threat. But no, no change,” he said during a press briefing.
The US-led global coalition against ISIS ended its combat mission in December 2021, taking an advisory role instead.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that it carried out a joint military operation against ISIS in western Iraq, killing 15 ISIS suspects. Iraqi forces have said the raid was carried out in Anbar province, putting the ISIS death toll at 16.
A US defense official told Rudaw that seven US troops were injured during the raid. The Pentagon clarified after the press briefing that two US service members were transported to Germany for follow-on care and in "stable condition;" the five others "were treated for minor injuries and returned to duty."
ISIS rose to power and seized control of large swathes of Iraqi territory during a brazen offensive in 2014. It was declared territorially defeated in 2017, when its so-called caliphate in the country fell to Iraqi and Kurdish fighters, supported by the US-led global coalition.
The Pentagon spokesperson also said that they have to keep an eye on ISIS to help prevent any possible resurgence.
“What the Iraqi Security Forces have done an incredible job in terms of addressing the ISIS threat, but as I highlighted, you still have these challenges in places like Syria, where 9,000 ISIS detainees, and that has to be taken seriously. So again, we'll continue to work with our Iraqi partners as well as others to address that,” he stated.
Diyar Kurda contributed to this article
Updated at 8:23 am with Pentagon's clarification on status of injured US service members
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