American army intelligence analyst killed in 'Iraq incident'

American army intelligence analyst killed in 'Iraq incident'
An American military officer assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, has died in a noncombat incident in Iraq, the US military has declared.
1 min read
25 April, 2019
Around 5,000 US soldiers are thought to be stationed in Iraq [Getty]

An American military officer assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, has died in a noncombat incident in Iraq, the US military has declared.

The Defence Department said on Wednesday that 20-year-old Spc. Michael T. Osorio died Tuesday in Taji, Iraq.

No details were released, and the military said an investigation was underway.

Osorio was from Horseshoe Bend, Idaho. He was an intelligence analyst in Fort Carson’s 3rd Armoured Brigade, part of the 4th Infantry Division.

He enlisted in the Army in July 2017 and was on his first deployment.

His decorations included the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.

There were nearly 4,500 US troops killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

US forces left Iraq in 2011, only to return in 2014, at the head of the coalition against IS in Iraq and Syria. They are thought to number around 5,000.

After the defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq, there have been growing domestic calls for US troops to withdraw from the country, particularly by groups politically aligned with neighbouring Iran.