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Pentagon confirms first U.S. combat death in Syria

Xinhua, November 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Pentagon on Friday confirmed the United States has suffered its first combat death in Syria in the fight against the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

The U.S. Special Operations Force member, not yet identified to the public, was killed near Ayn Issa in northern Syria by an improvised explosive device, the Pentagon said.

"I am deeply saddened by the news on this Thanksgiving Day that one of our brave service members has been killed in Syria while protecting us from the evil of ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement.

At least 300 U.S. Special Operations members are on the ground in Syria as part of the fight against the IS and other terrorist groups, a fact only acknowledged by the Obama administration a year ago, according to a daily news report from The Hill.

As Iraqi forces have pushed into IS-held Mosul in northern Iraq during recent weeks, U.S.-led coalition forces have also been preparing for an offensive into Raqqa, the group's stronghold in northern Syria. Endi