On May 3, U.S. Navy SEAL Charlie Keating IV was killed during a gunfight with ISIS militants near the city of Mosul, Iraq.
The 31-year-old from San Diego, Calif., was a part of the quick response team whose job was to rescue U.S. advisors from the surprise attack, according to the Pentagon.
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement that the U.S. special forces member, with the rank of Special Warfare Operator First Class, was advising Peshmerga forces. He was killed by small arms fire, probably from an AK-47.
In the video, U.S. forces can be seen taking cover behind cars, firing at militants, advising comrades, and moving from their location to what appears to be a bunker. The U.S. military members’ faces have been blurred by The Guardian after consulting the Pentagon.
The footage was provided to the Guardian by a lieutenant of the elite Kurdish Peshmerga force via cellphone. The Guardian reported that the battle lasted for more than 12 hours.
“If it was not for the American firepower, we would have more casualties. They are really good fighters,” said the Lieutenant, who shot some of the footage, according to the Guardian.
Another video has surfaced, this one on YouTube, which is reportedly showing the same battle with ISIS militants:
From the video’s biography:
“Not wanting ISIS to secure an entrenched foothold on the town, the elite Peshmerga Counter Terror Unit (CTU) accompanied by their Navy SEAL advisors, acted quickly by counterattacking the village, killing dozens upon dozens of Islamic State militants. The SEALs and the CTU were able to violently cleanse the town of ISIS, but at the expense of losing a SEAL and at least 15 Peshmerga fighters.”
According to the New York Times, The United States Department of Defense has identified Keating as the 14th American service member to die in support of the operation to defeat ISIS.
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