Army National Guard soldier from Indiana dies in non-combat incident in Iraq

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Army National Guard soldier from Indiana dies in non-combat incident in Iraq

2024-12-31 06:44 Last Updated At：06:50

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 34-year-old soldier serving with the Indiana National Guard in Iraq has died in a non-combat incident, the Army said Monday.

Capt. Eric Richard Hart, 34, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died Saturday in Iraq, the Army National Guard said in a statement. Hart was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion of Indiana’s 38th Infantry Division in Iraq. His death is under investigation.

While all combat operations have ceased for U.S. forces in Iraq, the U.S. maintains a presence of 2,500 troops to assist the Iraqi military in counter-Islamic State operations and training. Those forces have repeatedly come under attack in the 14 months since Hamas attacked Israel, spurring a wider, deadly response from Tel Aviv.

During the last year, Iranian-backed forces have launched one-way attack drones, rockets and missiles at U.S. facilities in Iraq in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

In September, the U.S. announced an agreement with the Iraqi government to wrap up the American-led coalition's military mission against the Islamic State group in Iraq by 2025. U.S. troops have departed some bases that they have long occupied during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.

Washington has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all U.S. combat forces left in 2011, thousands of troops returned in 2014 to help the Iraqi government defeat IS.

Since the extremist group lost its hold on the territory it once seized, Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces, particularly in the wake of a U.S. airstrike in January 2020 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis outside the Baghdad airport.

Before Monday's announcement, a total of 4,419 troops had died in Iraq since the beginning of the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom military campaign, including 3,482 combat deaths and 937 non-combat deaths, according to the latest Defense Department data. A total of 31,993 troops were wounded in action in Iraq.

The Defense Department's summary does not include all of the forces who returned from war with wounds that surfaced later, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or toxic exposure.

Bregman has 6 RBIs, Devers adds 4 hits as Red Sox rout Cardinals 18-7 to sweep doubleheader

2025-04-07 11:29 Last Updated At：11:31

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Bregman hit a three-run homer and tied a career high with six RBIs, Rafael Devers went 4 for 4 and drove in three runs, and the Boston Red Sox rolled to an 18-7 win and a doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night.

Wilyer Abreu added three RBIs for Boston, which finished with a season-best 22 hits and won its fifth straight. It was the 14th career four-hit game for Devers, who also scored four runs. Bregman had four hits for the 10th time, and Jarren Duran had three hits and scored three runs.

All that offense made for an easy night for Hunter Dobbins (1-0), who scattered five hits and gave up two runs over five innings to win his major league debut. Cooper Criswell allowed four runs in the ninth, but went three innings for his first save.

St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas (0-1) permitted nine runs — eight earned — and 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Thomas Saggaese hit a three-run homer in the ninth and Brendan Donovan had three hits and two RBIs for the Cardinals. St. Louis extended a team record with its ninth straight game getting at least 10 hits.

In the makeup of Saturday's rainout, Abreu singled off the Green Monster to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Red Sox rallied for a 5-4 victory in the opener. Devers, who began the season 0 for 21 with 15 strikeouts, hit his first homer of the year.

Pedro Pagés replaced St. Louis catcher Iván Herrera in the first game after he exited with left knee inflammation. In an interview on the ESPN broadcast, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said initial testing came back clean and Herrera’s knee was structurally sound. But he added the inflammation will require a stint on the injured list.

Boston took control in the second, scoring five runs on an RBI single by Ceddanne Rafaela and two-run doubles by Bregman and Abreu. Mikolas threw 41 of his 81 pitches during the inning. The Red Sox had another five-run inning in the sixth.

The Red Sox scored five runs in the second and four in the third. It marked the first time they scored four or more runs in back-to-back innings since Aug. 24, 2023, at Houston, and the first time at Fenway Park since Sept. 27, 2022, against Baltimore.

LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will start as the Cardinals open a three-game series Monday in Pittsburgh. The Red Sox had not announced a starting pitcher for the opener of their four-game series against Toronto.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb