A US strike has taken the life of an ISIS man believed to be responsible for the rocket attack that killed a US Marine in a remote Iraqi firebase has been killed, US officials say.
Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said that six ISIS fighters were killed in the strike- among them, the man responsible for the rocket attack that killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin in late March.
“Several hours ago we killed an ISIL member believed responsible for the rocket attack that resulted in the death of (Staff Sgt. Louis) Cardin”, Warren said. “Jasim Khadijah was an (ISIS) member and former Iraqi officer believed directly connected to the recent rocket attack that killed Cardin and wounded eight other Marines.”
US Officials that while Khadija was more a local leader than a high-value target, the US has received intel that he was responsible for the rocket attack.
The retaliatory strike was carried out with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
The complex has come under repeated assaults by ISIS since the first attack as Marines continue to provide support to Iraqi forces in the region.
[…] last killing of a U.S. service member in Iraq was in March, when a U.S. Marine stationed at Makhmour base outside the IS-held city of Mosul was killed by an IS rocket […]