The War Department announced on June 4, 2026, the identity of a U.S. soldier killed during training exercises in Iraq over the weekend. The soldier was identified as Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, from Robinson, Texas. The Pentagon stated that the incident is under investigation.
A British soldier, Lance Cpl. James Stewart Freeman, 29, from the Royal Anglian Regiment, was also killed during the training incident, which occurred at an air base in Erbil, located in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. A statement from U.S. Army Central confirmed that the training was conducted with British Army partners and that the incident is under investigation.
The United States and the United Kingdom have increased their military presence in Iraq to counter ISIS. The region has faced attacks from proxy extremists linked to Iran, which has conducted strikes targeting the air base and surrounding areas. On the same day the soldiers were killed, Iranian forces reportedly attacked U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.
