The U.S. military says an American soldier has died from wounds sustained in a bombing in northern Iraq.

Central Command said the soldier died on Thursday, without providing further information. It did not say where the explosion took place, but said it was caused by an "improvised explosive device," or roadside bomb.

A massive Iraqi operation was launched earlier this week to drive the Islamic State group from the northern city of Mosul. More than 100 U.S. soldiers are embedded with Iraqi forces, and hundreds more are playing a support role in staging bases.

If the soldier died while taking part in the offensive it would mark the first known American casualty in the battle to take back Mosul.