The radical Sunni IS wasted no time targeting the base, launching an attack with Katyusha rockets on March 19 that killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and injured others in Cardin’s company-sized detachment.
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USA trainers and advisers are at the Mahkmour base helping the Iraqis prepare for the assault on Mosul, which is still months away. Cardin was a native of Temecula, Calif., and assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The last USA death during Operation Inherent Resolve, the name of the US mission in Iraq, came last October when Army Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, age 39, was killed in combat during a raid against ISIS forces.
Bell’s existence was meant to be kept secret until it was deemed operational, the US military said, but Islamic State appeared to learn of the USA presence before the American public did.
A U.S. Marine who was part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group was killed in a rocket attack by the militant group in northern Iraq, the Pentagon said in a statement on Saturday.
Makhmur is the location for the Iraqi’s Nineveh Operations Center, a primary base from which the USA can support Iraqi forces when they eventually mount at attack on Mosul, which fell to the Islamic State in June 2014.
No American injuries were reported, Warren said. In memorial, Governor Jerry Brown ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, who bravely gave his life to serve our country.
“Those Marines were already there… they were already there in the appropriate advise and assist capacity”, spokesman John Kirby said during a press briefing.
The attack was also confirmed by the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq. But the defense official noted that there are several ways ISIS could have learned the Marines were there, “You can’t hide 200 Marines”, the official said.
The attack was an “indirect fire attack”, specifically rockets, the official said.
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While Marines have been deployed to Iraq alongside those special forces in the past year, previously acknowledged roles have mainly included diplomatic security and training Iraqi forces.
