In a somber announcement, officials from the United States and the United Kingdom have confirmed the deaths of one American soldier and one British soldier during a training exercise in Iraq. The incident occurred on Sunday at an air base in Irbil, located in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

The U.S. Army, in a statement posted on X, indicated that the identity of the American soldier is being withheld until 24 hours after the family has been notified. Similarly, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence has requested a ‘period of grace’ before releasing further details, having already informed the family of the British soldier.

This tragic event underscores the ongoing presence of American forces in the Kurdish region, despite a broader reduction of troops in Iraq aimed at countering the Islamic State group. The U.S. continues to maintain a strategic presence in the area, highlighted by the inauguration of a large new consulate compound in Irbil last December, signaling Washington’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Kurds.

The deaths come nearly a month after a separate incident where two American soldiers died during an off-duty recreational hike in Morocco, following their participation in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.