The American and British soldiers killed last week in Manbij, Syria were “conducting a mission to kill or capture a known ISIS member,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway confirmed on Monday.
Master Sgt. Jonathan Dunbar and British soldier Sgt. Matt Tonroe were killed after being struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) that detonated in the early hours of March 30. Five others were wounded and evacuated out for medical treatment.
“This operation was part of the Coalition’s mission to defeat ISIS, and we remain focused on our mission,” Rankine-Galloway said.
The kill or capture mission was first reported by CNN. In earlier press releases, the Department of Defense characterized the incident that killed Dunbar and Tonroe as occurring while the group was on “patrol.”
Dunbar, 36, of Austin, Texas, was assigned to the Army’s elite Delta Force, according to two sources familiar with his service. He joined the Army in 2005, serving multiple tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and is only the second American combat-related death this year.
What Are Your Thoughts?
