The US Army’s Central Command has alleged that the terrorists were armed with many weapons during the attack on Thursday (August 29, 2024). The Iraqi army said the attack took place in the Anbar desert. File | Photo credit: Reuters
“US forces took part in an Iraqi raid in the country’s western region, killing 15 people as forces targeted suspected Islamic State group militants,” the US military said on Saturday (August 31, 2024).
US forces have continued to battle the Islamic State group for years, after evicting the militants from their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, though Friday’s (Aug. 30) attack caused higher casualties than other attacks.
The US military’s Central Command alleged that the militants were armed with “numerous weapons, grenades and explosive ‘suicide’ belts” during the attack on Thursday (August 29, 2024), which Iraqi forces said took place in the country’s Anbar desert.
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“The goal of this operation was to disrupt and degrade ISIS’s ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond,” Central Command said, using an acronym for the terrorist group. “Iraqi security forces continue to exploit further of the raided locations.”
“There are no indications of civilian casualties,” it added.
“The positions were targeted in air strikes, followed by an air campaign,” an Iraqi military statement said.
“The dead included key ISIS leaders,” the Iraqi military said, without revealing their identities. “All hideouts, weapons and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identity cards and communication equipment were seized.”
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It was not immediately clear why it took the United States two days to acknowledge it had taken part in the attack. Iraq did not say the United States had taken part in the operation when it initially announced it had taken part, as politicians were debating the future of American troops in the country.
At its peak, the Islamic State group ruled over an area half the size of the United Kingdom, where it attempted to impose its extreme interpretation of Islam, including attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishments for Muslims deemed apostates.
A coalition of more than 80 countries led by the United States was formed to fight the group, which lost its grip on territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019. However, the militants continue to operate in the Anbar desert in Iraq and Syria, while claiming attacks carried out by others in other parts of the world. The Islamic State’s branch in Afghanistan is known to carry out intense attacks.