[Global Network Military Report on May 7] According to a report on the website of the US Army Times on May 4, the US Navy "Seals" commandos who died in Iraq on the 3 rd were members of a rapid reaction force. Their task was to pick up a US military operational advisory group that was attacked by "Islamic State" militants in the Kurdish region of Iraq. At 7: 50 in the morning, after receiving the report of "the troops were attacked", the US military commander ordered the rapid reaction unit where the special forces staff sergeant Charlie Keating was located to join the battle and assist those US military advisers to evacuate. When Keating and his troops arrived in the village, they found that Kurdish armed forces and American military advisers were engaged in fierce melee with the enemy.
A national defense official said on the 3rd that at 7: 30 in the morning, about 125 "Islamic State" militants suddenly attacked the town of Taylor Askov.The militants acted in groups, with 20 armored vehicles and several car bombs, trapping more than 10 US military operational advisers. These consultants were on a one-day mission in the local area at that time, meeting with Kurdish a freedom fighter militants who had several operational outposts near the area controlled by the Islamic State.
"There were bullets everywhere," said Colonel steve warren, a spokesman for the US Department of Defense in Baghdad. He (Keating) was hit in this gun battle. " Warren said that Keating was shot at 9: 30 am that day, and was taken by helicopter to the US military medical center in nearby Abiel for treatment at 10: 19 am, but died shortly after.
Warren said that it is very rare to use the rapid reaction force in Iraq. The battle on the 3rd was the first time in several months that an American army called for emergency operations support. Keating, 31, is the third American soldier killed in Iraq since the US-led Coalition forces began to fight against the "Islamic State". At present, the US military is sending more ground troops to combat the "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria.
The US military operational advisory group entered the town of Taylor Askov at dawn. The town is less than 5 miles (1 mile is about 1.6 kilometers) from the area controlled by the "Islamic State". Warren said that the U.S. military commander had ordered the rapid reaction force to assemble and stand by in advance in case the U.S. military "advice and assistance" team was in danger.
The "Islamic State" militants and their convoy of 20 vehicles entered the area without the knowledge of US military consultants and Kurdish armed intelligence personnel. Warren said, "You can’t monitor every inch of land all the time."
Warren said: "The enemy was able to gather enough troops in a very secret way, including several car bombs and some bulldozers, and of course their infantry. They were able to cross the local Kurdish armed defense line, cross the front line and advance rapidly to the town of Taylor Askov. There is their goal. "
The photos of the battle posted by the "Islamic State" on social media show that its militants drove several American Hummer military vehicles equipped with simple armor and a modified pickup truck equipped with heavy anti-aircraft machine guns. Warren said that there is no evidence that the "Islamic State" militants knew that there were Americans in the town when they launched the attack.
Warren said that shortly after the fighting started, American planes arrived over the town of Taylor Askov, including drones, F-15s and F-16s, several B-52s and A-10s. These planes dropped dozens of bombs, destroying all 20 armored vehicles of the "Islamic State" militants, as well as two cars, a bulldozer and three mortars. According to Warren’s estimation, 58 "Islamic State" militants were killed in the air raid.