Fifteen ISIS extremists killed in raid by Iraqi and US forces in west Iraq

Operation involved airborne troops and 'key leaders' of group were eliminated, Baghdad says

US soldiers patrol in downtown Baghdad, Iraq, on June 24, 2003. EPA

The US military said its forces conducted a raid jointly with the Iraqi security forces in western Iraq, killing 15 members of ISIS.

The operation took place on Thursday morning, the US Central Command (Centcom) said. There were no civilian casualties.

“The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive belts,” said the statement, posted on social media platform X.

Five US troops were wounded during the raid and another two were injured in falls, a defence official said.

“All personnel are in stable condition,” the official said.

An Iraqi military statement said “air strikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation.”

“Among the dead were key ISIS leaders,” the Iraqi statement said, without identifying them. “All hideouts, weapons, and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized.”

Later, Iraq's Foreign Ministry said that an announcement on an end date for the US-led coalition's mission had been postponed due to the “latest developments.” It did not elaborate.

The US has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the international coalition against the ISIS group.

Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that broke out in October last year has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.

Last winter, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups, claimed some 175 rocket and drone attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria.

US forces have carried out retaliatory strikes against these militant factions in both countries.