(WXYZ) — A Macomb Township man has been identified as the interpreter who was killed in Syria over the weekend while working with the U.S. Army.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
According to an online obituary, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, was killed when soldiers were ambushed in Syria by the Islamic State group on Dec. 13. Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, who were part of the Iowa National Guard, were also killed.
Sakat's family released the following statement to 7 News Detroit:
We appreciate you including his story and not letting it get lost in the mix of everything else.
As you noted, the Civilian Interpreter was my father, Ayad Sakat.
The news came as a huge shock to our family, and we are still struggling to believe it. My father worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army during the Iraq invasion from 2003–2007, which is why my family was granted Special Immigrant Visas to come to the United States. Service to this country has been in his blood for a very long time, and all four of us—his children—have the utmost respect for everything he did alongside American soldiers.
Everything we have accomplished is a testament to his sacrifice and perseverance. Because of him, we became a general surgeon, a police officer, a medical student, and an IT coordinator.
We will honor his legacy by continuing to live the kind of life he worked so hard to make possible.
He was a devoted father and husband, a courageous interpreter, and a man who believed deeply in the mission he served.
Watch below: 3 Americans killed by suspected ISIS gunman in Syria
Sakat, affectionately known as Eddie, was born in Bakhdida, Iraq, according to the obituary, and previously worked as an interpreter along with U.S. soldiers from 2003-2007.
"Ayad died in Syria while supporting U.S. forces, serving with the same courage and devotion that defined his life. His fellow soldiers affectionately called him Eddie, a nickname that reflected the trust, warmth, and friendship he inspired," his obituary reads.
Sakat is being remembered as a loving husband and father of four.
President Donald Trump was on hand on Wednesday and witnessed the dignified transfer of the two soldiers and Sakat.
See video of the dignified transfer below
More information about how the attack happened from the Associated Press below
The shooting Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded members of the country’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, a Syrian official said.
The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said Sunday.
Al-Baba acknowledged that it was “a major security breach” but said that in the year since Assad’s fall, “there have been many more successes than failures” by security forces.
The Army said Monday that the incident is under investigation. Military officials and President Donald Trump have blamed the attack on an IS member.
