Dramatic pictures released of US-Kurdish prisoner rescue in Iraq

A Kurdish official said Sunday that the Iraqi government had not been informed of a joint raid by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and U.S. commandos to save hostages held by the Islamic State group (ISIS).

A USA soldier was killed during the operation.

“On behalf of Kurdistan Regional Government and Kurdish people, I express my condolences to the family and friends of the fearless soldier, and I wish speedy recovery for the wounded Peshmerga”, Barzani said in a statement.

The death of Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, was confirmed by the Department of Defense, prompting a few to wonder whether the raid was an instance of “mission creep”, the undesirable expansion of a military project or mission beyond its initial goals, meaning that US forces would be involved in more ground raids in Iraq.

The raid took place Thursday in Hawija, a city in Iraq’s Kirkuk province.

Later in the video, soldiers can be seen clearing rooms within the compound and responding to the sounds of gunfire off-camera.

All hostages were reportedly Sunni Muslims, and 20 were members of Iraqi security forces.

A few hostages had blood on their clothing as they fled and gunfire could be heard as they escaped.

Wheeler’s death during the raid on Thursday night saw him become the first American to die in combat in Iraq since 2011.

“We knew the hostages would soon be murdered”, said Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the USA military operation against ISIS.

According to the KRSC, 48 Kurdish soldiers and 27 US forces participated in the mission.

Part of the video unveiled a room where an ISIS flag is pinned to the wall and furniture.