U.S. Service Member Killed by Enemy Fire in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — A coalition service member was killed Saturday by enemy fire in northern Iraq, the Pentagon said in a statement.

A U.S. official told The Associated Press the individual was an American stationed at the Makhmour base outside the Islamic State group-held city of Mosul.

In this Nov. 7, 2008, file photo, U.S. Army soldiers tour St. Elijah's Monastery on Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad. St. Elijah�s has officially joined a growing list of more than 100 demolished religious and historic sites, including mosques, tombs, shrines and churches. The Islamic State group has defaced or ruined ancient monuments in Nineveh, Palmyra and Hatra. Museums and libraries have been looted, books burned, artwork crushed. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

The attack was an "indirect fire attack," specifically rockets, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to brief the media.

Two Iraqi commanders stationed at the base also reported a rocket attack Saturday, but denied anyone had been hurt or killed.

The U.S.-led coalition has reported that the build-up of Iraqi troops at Makhmour in preparation for an assault on Mosul has brought a spike in the frequency of such indirect fire attacks.

The last U.S. service member killed in Iraq was in October 2015.