IRBIL — One American soldier and one British soldier died during a joint training exercise at an air base in Irbil, Iraq, on Sunday, May 31, 2026. The incident occurred in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed the death of the British service member in a statement: “It is with deep regret that we can confirm that a training accident occurred in northern Iraq on Sunday 31 May 2026 in which a service person from the British Army died.” U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said, “I am deeply saddened by the death of the British soldier.” The ministry also stated that the soldier’s family has been notified and requested a “period of grace” before additional details are released.
U.S. officials acknowledged the loss of their service member and noted the joint nature of the exercise, saying, “The training was conducted with our British Army partners who also lost a soldier. The incident is under investigation.” The U.S. Army indicated that the identity of the deceased American soldier is being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.
American forces have maintained a presence in the Kurdish region even as the U.S. reduces the overall number of troops deployed in Iraq for operations against the Islamic State group. The U.S. has retained this presence as it seeks to strengthen ties with Kurdish authorities. In December, the U.S. inaugurated a large new consulate compound in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region.