Crime & Safety
MI Man Among U.S. Soliders Killed In ISIS Attack In Syria
Ayad Mansoor Sakat was serving as a U.S. interpreter in Syria when he was killed in an ambush attack.
A metro Detroit man was one of three U.S. military personnel killed in a deadly ambush attack in Syria last weekend, government officials said.
Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, of Macomb Township, was serving as an interpreter for the U.S. Army when he and two other U.S. Army soldiers were killed while "engaged with hostile forces" on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria, government officials said.
Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, were the other two soldiers killed in the attack, which was carried out by a single ISIS gunman, government officials said.
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"I am deeply saddened that we lost a brave Michigander over the weekend in an attack in Syria," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "Ayad Mansoor Sakat was an interpreter who proudly served this country with honor and courage. My condolences go out to his loved ones and the Macomb Township community."
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, also shared a statement regarding Sakat's death.
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"My thoughts are with his family, and I am grateful to every one of our citizens that step up to serve alongside our military. Their work enables our forces to operate in foreign theaters all over the world," she said.
Sakat, 54, was born in Bakhdida, Iraq, according to the online obituary at Mercy Funeral Home in Hazel Park. He went on to serve as an interpreter for the U.S. Army during the Iraq invasion from 2003 to 2007. His services granted his family Special Immigrant Visas to allow them to come to the U.S.
Sakat is survived by his wife and four children, according to the obituary.
"Ayad will be remembered for his generosity, integrity, sense of humor, and the deep pride he carried for his family," reads the obituary. "He found joy in simple moments — listening to Fairouz in the mornings, sharing food, walking with friends, and offering kindness to everyone around him. His life was shaped by service, his heart by love, and his legacy by the strength of the family he cherished."
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