Federal officials are trying to fly back the bodies of Americans who were reportedly killed in Syria, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.
“We have been working to help facilitate the return of the remains of private U.S. citizens reported killed in Syria,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. “We remain in close contact with local authorities and stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
The Kurdish news agency Rudaw named the Americans as Jordan MacTaggart, William Savage, and Levi Jonathan Shirley, and published their photos. The agency said the men were among hundreds killed in the battle to recapture Mambij from ISIS, citing Shawkat Berbahari, a manager of the Pishkhabour border-crossing with Syria.
The State Department could not confirm the number of Americans killed or how they were killed.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2024 TIME100 Next
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- How to Survive Election Season Without Losing Your Mind
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Contact us at letters@time.com