A U.S. service member was killed in northern Iraq while participating in the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian attack drone, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday, marking the latest American casualty in the expanding conflict with Iran.
A second service member suffered minor injuries during the operation and is receiving medical treatment, CENTCOM said. The military has not released the identity of the deceased pending notification of next of kin.
Explosion occurred during disposal operation
According to CENTCOM, the incident occurred July 18 during a planned effort to safely destroy unexploded ordnance recovered from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.
A U.S. official told The New York Times the service member who was killed was not an explosive ordnance disposal technician but another soldier who was struck by debris or fragments during the detonation. The incident remains under investigation.
Third U.S. combat death in two days
The death came one day after two American service members were killed in an Iranian missile and drone attack on a military installation in Jordan. Another soldier remains missing, while U.S. officials said search teams have also recovered unidentified human remains at the site as recovery efforts continue.
The latest death brings the number of U.S. service members killed since the conflict with Iran began to 17, according to the Associated Press. Hundreds of additional American troops have been wounded during the conflict, which has been fought almost entirely through air and missile strikes.
Conflict continues to escalate
The announcement came as U.S. forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military targets. The campaign is intended to weaken Tehran’s missile, drone, and naval capabilities after a series of attacks on American personnel, commercial vessels, and strategic sites across the Middle East.
The Pentagon has not released additional details about the Iraq incident, including the location of the operation or the unit to which the fallen service member was assigned. Officials said more information will be made public after the soldier’s family has been notified.
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