US, British soldiers die in training accident in Iraq

An American solder and a British soldier are dead following "a training accident" in northern Iraq, United States and United Kingdom defense officials said.

The deaths took place at Erbil Air Base in the country's Kurdistan Region on May 31, the U.S. Army said on X. The statement said the soldier’s identity was being withheld until their family was notified.

"It is with deep regret that we can confirm that a training accident occurred in northern Iraq," the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in a separate post on X.

The family of the British soldier has been notified and has requested a "period of grace" before more details are released.

Officials have not released additional information about the soldiers' deaths, but said the incident was under investigation.

As of June 2, British defense officials told USA TODAY they had not released the name of the soldier killed.

USA TODAY has reached out to the U.S. Army for more information.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.