January 24, 2024, 00:40 GMT
Updated 1 hour ago
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Fighters raise flags of Iraq and paramilitary groups including Kataib Hezbollah during a funeral for militants killed in a U.S. strike in northern Iraq last month
The US says its forces in Iraq carried out attacks on three facilities used by Iranian-backed militias.
The “proportionate” attacks targeted the “Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-linked groups,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
He said the precision strikes were “a direct response” to attacks against U.S. and coalition allies in Iraq and Syria.
But a senior Iraqi official said it was a “flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
Iraq's national security adviser, Qassem al-Aaraji, added that the US strikes had not helped calm the situation.
On
He was referring to the alliance of Iran-backed former paramilitary groups Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Force), which is now integrated into the regular armed forces.
Last week, several U.S. military personnel were injured in a rocket attack on an air base in western Iraq.
U.S. officials said they were “being evaluated for traumatic brain injuries.”
The US military's Central Command (CentCom) said at the time that an Iranian-backed militia had attacked Al Asad air base, where American troops are stationed, with ballistic missiles and missiles.
A group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group emerged in late 2023 and consists of several Iran-linked armed groups operating in Iraq. Further attacks on US forces have been reported in recent weeks.
In a statement, Mr. Austin praised the “professionalism” of U.S. military personnel in planning and executing recent attacks in Iraq as part of efforts to “further dismantle and weaken ISIS.” [the Islamic State group].”
Mr. Austin stressed that he and US President Joe Biden “will not hesitate to take the necessary actions” to defend American interests.
“We do not seek to escalate the conflict in the region. We are fully prepared to take further measures to protect our population and our facilities. We call on these groups and their Iranian sponsors to immediately stop these attacks,” he said.
“These attacks are targeted [Kataib Hezbollah] Headquarters, storage and training sites for missile, missile and disposable attack UAV capabilities,” CentCom said.
Kataib Hezbollah, or Party of God Brigades, is a powerful Iraqi Shiite militia that receives financial and military support from Iran.
It is believed that there are close ties to the Iranian Quds Force, the arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for foreign operations.
Since 2009, the US has designated the group a terrorist organization and accused it of attacking US and Iraqi forces in Iraq on behalf of Iran and threatening peace and stability in Iraq.
After its recent attacks on Kataib Hezbollah, the U.S. military did not provide any information about where in Iraq the militia facilities attacked were located.
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Last Saturday, missiles and missiles were fired at Al Asad airbase
Saturday's attack on Al Asad air base followed a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad earlier this month that killed a pro-Iran militia leader.
U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have been attacked dozens of times by Iran-aligned militants since the Israel-Gaza war began in October.
The US military and its allies – including Britain – have also intervened to stop Houthi missile attacks on international ships in the Red Sea.
Washington and London have carried out attacks against the Houthis – an Iran-backed rebel group that controls large parts of western Yemen.
On Wednesday, CentCom said U.S. forces had carried out another round of attacks against two Houthi anti-ship missiles “that were aimed at the southern Red Sea and were ready to launch.”
“U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and determined they posed an imminent threat to commercial and U.S. Navy vessels in the region. U.S. forces then struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defense,” CentCom added.
The Iranian military has carried out several missile strikes against targets in Syria, Iraq and Pakistan in the past week.