U.S. commandos have captured a suspected ISIS militant in northern Iraq, defense officials confirmed to NBC News early Wednesday.
The "ranking" ISIS member was captured by Delta Force, the Army's top covert combat unit, according to the officials. The officials who spoke to NBC News did not identify the operative or provide more details and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The capture, which was first reported by the New York Times and CNN late Tuesday, signifies a critical expansion of America's military operations in both Iraq and Syria. Dozens of U.S. Special Operation Forces personnel have been deployed in the two countries to conduct covert operations against ISIS.