A member of the US armed forces has died in northern Iraq while carrying out a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance left behind by a downed Iranian drone, US Central Command confirmed on Sunday. In a statement posted on X, the US military said, “A US service member in northern Iraq was killed in action on July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone.” A second service member was wounded in the incident and is continuing to receive medical treatment for what officials described as a minor injury. The soldier’s death on Saturday brings the confirmed number of American military fatalities since the war began on 28 February to 17.
