US soldiers died in non-combat incident in northeastern Syria: DoD

“Spc. Alex J. Ram, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, died Feb. 1, 2022, at Tell Beydar, Syria, as a result of a non-combat related incident.”
A US soldier stands by a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) during a patrol in the countryside near al-Malikiyah (Derik) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province. Feb. 2, 2021. (Photo: Delil Souleiman / AFP)
A US soldier stands by a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) during a patrol in the countryside near al-Malikiyah (Derik) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province. Feb. 2, 2021. (Photo: Delil Souleiman / AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A US soldier died in northeast Syria on Tuesday, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Friday.

“Spc. Alex J. Ram, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, died Feb. 1, 2022, at Tell Beydar, Syria, as a result of a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation,” the DoD said.

Tell Beydar is a village in the Al-Hasakah Governorate in Syria. The coalition has a base near that village.

Ram was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 4th Inf. Div., Fort Carson, Colorado, the DoD said.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced the killing of the leader of ISIS in northwest Syria, in Idlib Province, the night before.

Read More: Biden hails Kurdish forces in operation that killed ISIS leader, fight the terrorist group

The US president hailed the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main US partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria, as well as the Kurdish Peshmerga, who are a key component of the partnership which the anti-ISIS coalition has with local forces in Iraq.

Biden also affirmed that the United States will “continue working with our close allies and partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, and more than 80 members of the Global Coalition to keep pressure on ISIS.”

The US has around 900 troops in Syria. A small number of them are at al-Tanf in southeast Syria, supporting the Arab partner force, Maghawir al-Thawra.

The bulk of US troops are stationed in northeast Syria, where they are partnered with the SDF.