A US Navy SEAL was killed Tuesday morning when ISIS fighters infiltrated a Peshmerga position in Northern Iraq. The SEAL was advising Peshmerga fighters about three to five kilometers behind a forward line of troops when ISIS fighters attacked the position, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement. The SEAL, who has not yet been identified, is the third combat death in Operation Inherent Resolve. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during a briefing Tuesday in Stuttgart, Germany, the death is a reminder of the dangers troops face in the conflict. “It’s a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq,” he said. The US-led coalition responded with fighters, bombers, attack, ground-attack, and remotely piloted aircraft strikes to counter the ISIS attack, according to the Pentagon.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.
