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Ayad Mansoor Sakat (Photo from Rep. McClain)
Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Macomb Township, was identified as the U.S. interpreter killed Dec. 13 in Syria along with two National Guard soldiers from Iowa. The White House said the attack was carried out by ISIS.
The New York Times reports:
Mr. Sakat, 54, grew up in a small Catholic village in Iraq and worked for years as an interpreter for the U.S. Army, according to his daughter, Dina Qiryaqoz. She said he immigrated to the United States in 2007 on a special visa and became a U.S. citizen. He was employed as a linguist by Valiant Integrated Services, a Virginia-based government contractor, and had been working in Syria for more than two years, with his wife and four adult children remaining behind in the United States.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued condolences in an X posting.
I am deeply saddened that we lost a brave Michigander over the weekend in an attack in Syria. 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.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) December 17, 2025
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain issued a statement on Facebook:
"I’m devastated to learn that Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the interpreter killed in the ISIS attack on our National Guardsmen in Syria, was from Macomb Township in my district. 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.