US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Iraq

The U.S. Army announced the death of Capt. Eric Richard Hart, a 34-year-old soldier from Indianapolis, Indiana, serving with the Indiana National Guard in Iraq. Capt. Hart passed away in a non-combat incident.

This was revealed in a statement from the Army National Guard.

The late soldier was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion of Indiana’s 38th Infantry Division. His death is currently under investigation.

Despite the cessation of combat operations in Iraq, the U.S. continues to station 2,500 troops to support Iraqi forces in counter operations against armed attackers.

Over the past 14 months, American facilities in Iraq have faced attacks, attributed to Iranian-backed forces, following the escalation of conflicts involving Israel and Hamas. These attacks included drones, rockets, and missiles aimed at U.S. bases.

In September, the U.S. and Iraq agreed to conclude the American-led coalition’s mission against Daesh by 2025.

The U.S., which first invaded Iraq in 2003, withdrew combat forces in 2011 but redeployed thousands in 2014 to assist in defeating Daesh.

Since the armed group’s territorial defeat, Iraqi officials have periodically demanded a coalition withdrawal, particularly after the January 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.

As of Monday, 4,419 American troops have died in Iraq since 2003, including 3,482 in combat and 937 in non-combat incidents, with 31,993 wounded. These figures exclude veterans suffering from later-emerging injuries, such as PTSD and toxic exposure.