US soldier slightly wounded by gunfire at Iraq training base

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Pentagon said “A U.S. soldier was wounded slightly when fired upon by an unknown person outside Besmaya Military base of southeastern Baghdad in central Iraq where U.S. troops are training Iraqi soldiers.”

A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, said “This marked the first time an American military member has been wounded by ground fire since the U.S. began training Iraqis as part of the coalition effort to defeat the Islamic State group.”

Warren added “The incident happened on Wednesday.”

The spokesman said the soldier at the Besmaya training site received a “non-life threatening laceration” on his face, where he was treated and returned to duty.

Warren mentioned the wound may have been caused by a ricochet off a concrete wall on the base’s perimeter.

Warren said “The U.S. soldiers returned fire.” /End/