Defense Secretary Ash Carter said people should expect more raids like the one Thursday to rescue 70 Iraqis from Islamic State forces in northern Iraq.
He also reiterated that the U.S. soldier who died from gunshots on that raid, Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, was working in an advise-and-assist role during the operation.
“It doesn’t represent assuming a combat role,” Carter told reporters. “It represents a continuation of our advise-and-assist mission.”
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Carter said he made the call to conduct the raid, which was performed alongside Kurdish peshmerga forces, after receiving intelligence that “a mass execution was imminent.”
“They expected to be executed that day after morning prayers,” he said, noting that a large hole was dug near the compound for their bodies.
“As the compound was being stormed, the plan was not for the U.S. advise-and-assist and accompanying forces to enter the compound or be involved in the firefight,” Carter said. “However, when a firefight ensued, this American did what I’m very proud Americans do in that situation, he ran to the sound of gunfire” and helped protect the forces who were breaching the wall.
“It wasn’t part of the plan,” he said.
Wheeler’s is the first U.S. combat death in the fight against the Islamic State.
