US-Iraq raids puts scrutiny on Baghdad’s ability to contain ISIS
Seven US troops were injured during raids to take down senior Islamic State operatives in Iraq’s western Anbar province last week amid a spike in ISIS attacks.
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WASHINGTON — US and Iraqi special operations forces kicked off a multi-day operation in a rural stretch of Iraq’s western Anbar province last week to hunt down lingering Islamic State operatives.
Elements of the Iraqi Army’s 5th Division, counterterrorism, aviation, air force and intelligence service partnered with US troops led by American special operations forces southwest of ar-Rutba, in an area known as al-Hazimi, the Iraqi military said.
The raid resulted in the deaths of 15 Islamic State members, according to US Central Command. It also left seven US personnel injured, including two in a fall on a riverbank. Two were evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany while the other five have returned to duty, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday.
