WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. service members were killed and five injured during combat operations in northern Iraq on Sunday, the military said, adding that initial reports indicated the incident was not due to enemy contact.

In a statement the military said the incident was under investigation. The service members were part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq.

“The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes’ families, friends and teammates,” said Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve.

“I hope there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the Coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands.”

Related Coverage Islamic State claims attack on U.S. forces west of Mosul</s>(KUSI) — Two United States service members were killed and five injured during combat operations in northern Iraq, Sunday.

The military said in a statement the initial reports indicated the incident was not due to enemy contact.

No names have yet been released. The incident is still under investigation.

This is a developing story, more updates to follow.</s>WASHINGTON: Two U.S. service members were killed and five injured during combat operations in northern Iraq on Sunday, the military said.

In a statement, the military said initial reports indicated the incident was not due to enemy contact. It said the incident was being investigated.</s>Two U.S. service members were killed and five others were injured during combat operations in northern Iraq on Sunday, the military announced in a statement.

The joint task force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve, said an investigation has been opened into the incident. The mission notes that initial reports suggest the casualties did not come as a result of "enemy contact."

"The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes' families, friends and teammates," Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander of the task force, said in the statement Sunday.

"There are no words to describe the respect I have for you and sorrow I have for your loss," Townsend continued. "I hope there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the Coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands."

As NPR's Lauren Frayer reports, nine Americans involved in the operation have been killed this year, and nearly 50 service members have been wounded since the campaign launched roughly three years ago.</s>Worthy Christian News » World Headlines » Two U.S. service members killed, five injured in northern Iraq

Two U.S. service members killed, five injured in northern Iraq

(Worthy News) - Two U.S. service members were killed and five injured during combat operations in northern Iraq on Sunday, the military said, adding that initial reports indicated the incident was not due to enemy contact.

In a statement the military said the incident was under investigation. The service members were part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq.

"The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes' families, friends and teammates," said Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. [ Source (Read More...) ]

Fair Use Notice:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.</s>Two US service members were killed and five were injured Sunday during combat operations in northern Iraq, according to a statement from US Central Command.

“Initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact,” the statement said. The incident is under investigation.

The troops were part of the US- led coalition that has been fighting against ISIS in Iraq since 2014. They were not immediately identified.

Coalition commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend issued a statement offering condolences to the families, friends and comrades of the service members.

“The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes’ families, friends and teammates.” He added that he hoped “there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the Coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands.”

On Monday, Pentagon spokesman US Army Col. Robert Manning stated: “An Army artillery section was conducting a counter fire mission against an ISIS mortar site when a mishap occurred injuring seven soldiers. There is no indication that ISIS had anything to do with this. The injured soldiers were air-evaced and two of the soldiers subsequently died, the other 5 soldiers did not suffer life threatening injuries.”

Manning went on to add that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Close to 5,000 US troops are currently aiding in the fight against ISIS.

A month after Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi declared victory over ISIS in Mosul, the coalition continues to aid the Iraqi armed forces fight against ISIS in other towns throughout the country.

Within Iraq, the coalition’s main focus is to liberate the towns of Tal Afar, Hawija and the town of Al Qaim in the Euphrates River valley.

The coalition is also working to liberate Raqqa, ISIS’ de-facto capital in Syria.</s>IRAQ — Two US service members were killed and five were injured Sunday during combat operations in northern Iraq, according to a statement from US Central Command.

“Initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact,” the statement said. The incident is under investigation.

The troops were part of the US- led coalition that has been fighting against ISIS in Iraq since 2014. They were not immediately identified.

Coalition commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend iissued a statement offering condolences to the families, friends and comrades of the service members.

“The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes’ families, friends and teammates.” He added that he hoped “there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the Coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands.”

Close to 5,000 US troops are currently aiding in the fight against ISIS.

A month after Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi declared victory over ISIS in Mosul, the coalition continues to aid the Iraqi armed forces fight against ISIS in other towns throughout the country.

Within Iraq, the coalition’s main focus is to liberate the towns of Tal Afar, Hawija and the town of Al Qaim in the Euphrates River valley.

The coalition is also working to liberate Raqqa, ISIS’ de-facto capital in Syria.</s>The U.S. military has ruled out enemy contact as the cause of the recent deaths of two American service members and injury of five others while they were participating in the U.S.-led offensive against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq Sunday.

“Initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact,” notes the U.S. military in a statement.

Nevertheless, the United States armed forces did acknowledge that the American casualties took place during “combat operations in northern Iraq” on Sunday.

The American troops involved in the incident, which the military has said is under investigation, were part of the U.S.-led coalition that has been combating the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq since 2014.

U.S. officials have not officially released information about the identities of the Americans who were killed and injured.

American Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS, paid his respects to the family of the troops, saying:

The entire counter-ISIS Coalition sends our deepest condolences to these heroes’ families, friends, and teammates. There are no words to describe the respect I have for you and sorrow I have for your loss. I hope there is some small solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the nations of the Coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands.

An estimated 5,000 U.S. troop are believed to be participating in Iraq-based operations against ISIS.

“A month after Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi declared victory over ISIS in Mosul, the coalition continues to aid the Iraqi armed forces fight against ISIS in other towns throughout the country,” notes CNN. “Within Iraq, the coalition’s main focus is to liberate the towns of Tal Afar, Hawija and the town of Al Qaim in the Euphrates River valley. The coalition is also working to liberate Raqqa, ISIS’ de-facto capital in Syria.”

ISIS still controls about 20 percent of the territory (35,000 square miles) it held at its peak at the beginning of 2015.

According to a tally by the Pentagon, there have been at least 42 U.S. fatalities linked to Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the name of the ongoing American offensive against ISIS in the Middle East.

Of the 42 American casualties, which likely does not include the recent deaths in Iraq, terrorists have killed the majority (28) in combat. Jihadists have also killed at least two American civilians affiliated with OIR.

Moreover, there have been at least 208 injury incidents involving U.S. troops fighting ISIS under Operation Inherent Resolve.</s>BAGHDAD — Two American soldiers were killed while conducting combat operations in Iraq, the United States military said in a statement on Sunday, adding that “initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact.”

Five other soldiers were wounded, the statement said, without providing further details. It did not identify the soldiers or where in Iraq the casualties occurred.

More than 5,000 American troops are taking part in the war against the Islamic State in Iraq, according to the Pentagon. Most operate within heavily guarded bases, collecting and sharing intelligence with Iraqi forces and providing logistical support.

But as the fighting has evolved over the past three years, more American troops are operating close to the front lines. In addition to the two killed on Sunday, five other American soldiers have been killed in Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, including two in the battle to retake the northern city of Mosul.

More than 1,200 Iraqi forces were killed in the battle for Mosul and more than 6,000 were wounded, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this month.

Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, declared victory against the Islamic State in Mosul in July, and Iraqi forces are now preparing to retake the Islamic State-held town of Tal Afar.</s>BAGHDAD -- The U.S. military says two American soldiers have been killed while conducting combat operations in northern Iraq, but not as a result of "enemy contact."

Central Command said in a statement that five other soldiers were wounded in Sunday's incident, without providing further details. It did not identify the soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the commander of U.S. forces battling the Islamic State group in Iraq, said the coalition "sends our deepest condolences to these heroes' families, friends and teammates."

Thousands of U.S. troops are taking part in the war against ISIS in Iraq. They are mainly providing logistical and other support to Iraqi troops, but many operate close to the front lines.
During combat operations in northern Iraq, two U.S. service members are killed and five injured.