WASHINGTON (AP) — One American soldier and one British soldier died during a training exercise in Iraq, U.S. and U.K. officials said Monday without releasing further details.
The deaths occurred Sunday at an air base in Irbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, where the U.S. has retained a presence, the U.S. Army said in a post on X. The statement said the soldier’s identity is being withheld until 24 hours after his or her family has been notified.
The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence said in a separate post that the family of the British soldier has been notified and requested a “period of grace” before more details are released.
The U.S. has been reducing the number of troops countering the Islamic State group in Iraq. But American forces have retained a presence in the Kurdish region as the U.S. seeks to strengthen ties with the Kurds.
The U.S. inaugurated a large new consulate compound in December in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, highlighting Washington’s diplomatic and strategic engagement in the area.
The deaths occurred nearly a month after two American soldiers fell off a cliff and died during an off-duty recreational hike in Morocco. They were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise.