Seven American soldiers were wounded and the Iraqi military said airstrikes killed a key member of the group.
The US military said 15 ISIL (ISIS) fighters were killed in a joint strike with Iraqi security forces in western Iraq.
Seven U.S. soldiers were injured in the joint operation Thursday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement Saturday.
The strikes came as the United States and Iraq discussed a joint security mission in the country.
CENTCOM said in X that “the fighters were armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts.”
No civilian casualties were reported.
A U.S. military official told The Associated Press that five U.S. soldiers were injured in the operation and two others in the crash. “All are in stable condition,” the official said.
“ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, and our homeland,” CENTCOM said, adding that the U.S., along with coalition forces and Iraqi partners, “will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists.”
The Iraqi military said the hideout was “targeted by airstrikes, followed by airborne operations”.
“Among the dead were key leaders of (ISIL),” he added. “All hideouts, weapons and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated, and important documents, IDs and communication devices were seized.”
The end date of the US-led coalition mission in Iraq and Syria to fight ISIL has recently been pushed back.
Talks on the topic could not be concluded until after the U.S. presidential election in November, according to Reuters.
There are about 2,500 US troops stationed in Iraq, as well as Iran-linked militias with ties to the security forces.
There are about 900 US troops in Syria as part of the coalition against ISIL.
Coalition forces have come under dozens of drone and rocket attacks in Iraq and Syria since the violence surrounding Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, with Iran-linked militant groups intervening across the Middle East.
Earlier this month, at least five Americans were wounded in an attack on a military base in Iraq.
From October to February, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance, an Iran-linked militant group, carried out regular drone strikes on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria.
At its peak in 2014, ISIL fighters controlled a third of Iraq and Syria.
A U.S.-led coalition of more than 80 countries drove the group from Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019.
However, some fighters continue to carry out attacks, often from hidden locations in remote areas, and some claim that attacks elsewhere in the world were inspired by the group.
