The airstrikes came after the Erbil air base was attacked earlier in the day.
December 26, 2023, 12:13 a.m. ET
• 4 min reading
According to the Defense Department, U.S. forces conducted multiple airstrikes on Christmas night against facilities in Iraq used by Kataib Hezbollah – an Iraqi paramilitary group also known as the Hezbollah Brigades – and its affiliates.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the attacks were carried out at the direction of President Joe Biden and in response to attacks by the groups against coalition forces in the region. One of these attacks occurred on December 25 at Erbil Air Base and resulted in injuries to three U.S. personnel. According to a statement from the defense minister, one soldier was in critical condition as a result of the attack on the air base.
“My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured,” Austin said in his statement.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holds a press conference on the U.S. military withdrawal in Afghanistan at the Pentagon on September 1, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Saul Loeb /AFP via Getty Images
“And let me be clear: The President and I will not hesitate to take the actions necessary to defend the United States, our troops and our interests,” he continued in his statement. “There is no higher priority. While we do not seek to escalate the conflict in the region, we remain committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and facilities.”
CENTCOM's initial assessment is that the facilities attacked were destroyed and there are no signs that civilians were affected.
“These attacks are aimed at holding accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and impairing their ability to continue the attacks,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command , in a statement. “We will always protect our armed forces.”
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the president was “immediately informed of the attack this morning and has directed the Department of Defense to prepare response options against those responsible.”
On a later call with Sec. Austin ordered Biden to carry out the strikes against three sites used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, with a specific focus on unmanned aerial drone activity, according to the statement.
“The President places no higher priority than protecting American personnel who are at risk. “The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue,” Watson’s statement said.