Iraq’s military on Friday condemned the nighttime airstrike by U.S. forces, saying it killed six people and calling it a violation of its sovereignty and a targeted invasion of its official military.
The United States on Thursday said it had carried out a series of attacks against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, claiming responsibility for a rocket attack that killed two American soldiers and a British soldier the previous day.
“The pretext that this attack was carried out in response to an invasion targeting the Taji base is a false pretext and will only lead to escalation, not a solution,” Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement. said.
“This action goes against the will of the Iraqi state, is a violation of its sovereignty, and strengthens lawlessness. No party has the right to replace the state, its sovereignty, and its legitimate decisions.”
It was announced that in addition to the six people killed in the US airstrike, 12 others were injured.
The top U.S. commander for the Middle East acknowledged Friday that there are many similar locations that the United States has not attacked due to the potential for civilian casualties and political considerations for the Iraqi government.
Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie said the U.S. decision to target an Iranian-backed Shiite militia that killed a U.S. and British soldier in a rocket attack this week sends a strong message to Iran and its proxies. . But he said tensions with Iran have not subsided as the threat of continued attacks remains high and the United States is strengthening its military assets in the region.
McKenzie told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday: “It’s now clear to everyone that we can’t fire people on U.S. or coalition bases, injure or kill civilians, and walk away unscathed. That means it can’t be done.” He said the U.S. knows where the weapons are located and knows where more weapons are located, but that in some cases airstrikes could kill “many” civilians. He said he was showing “restraint” in bombing.
He said the U.S. is working with Iraqi forces to clear sites, but sometimes things don’t work out.
Kataib Hezbollah, the group the United States blames for Wednesday’s deadly attack on its Camp Taji base that also injured 14 other personnel, has not commented on the attack, but the Iranian-backed group group vows revenge.
This retaliatory attack could signal a new cycle of violence between Washington and Tehran that could unfold inside Iraq. And they are threatening to disrupt ongoing negotiations between the United States and the Iraqi government over the presence of American troops.
If the Iraqis were there, if the Iraqi military was there, I would say it’s probably not a good idea to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kataib Hezbollah after an attack that killed Americans and members of the coalition. Dew.– U.S. Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie
In fact, the Iraqi military announced that three Iraqi special forces and two federal police officers were killed in US airstrikes. A Shiite donor organization in the holy city of Karbala also announced that a civilian who was at the airport complex it was building was also killed.
Asked about the Iraqi deaths, McKenzie said the U.S. had been consulting with the Iraqi military and knew a U.S. attack was imminent.
“If the Iraqis were there, if the Iraqi military was there, I think it’s probably not a good idea to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kataib Hezbollah after an airstrike that killed Americans and coalition members.”
Death of a soldier is a ‘red line that must not be crossed’: US
McKenzie said that because of the continuing threat, Defense Secretary Mark Esper has agreed to keep two Navy aircraft carriers, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Harry S. Truman, in the Gulf region “for a period of time.” Stated. He said it was the first time since 2012 that the US had two aircraft carriers in the region at the same time.
He also said Patriot air defense missile systems were being relocated to Iraq to provide protection against ballistic missile attacks, such as the January attack by Iran that attacked Iraqi air bases where U.S. troops were stationed. Ta. No Americans were killed in the attack, but dozens suffered mild traumatic brain injuries. Since then, Washington has been negotiating with the Iraqi government to allow Patriot deployment.
The attack comes just two months after Iran carried out a major ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces at a base in Iraq, highlighting rapidly escalating tensions between the Iranian government and its proxies in Iraq. It shows. The remarks came just hours after America’s top defense official threatened retaliation for Wednesday’s rocket attack and vowed he knew who did it and that the attackers would be held accountable.
“The United States will not tolerate attacks against our people, interests, or allies,” Esper said. “As we have shown in recent months, we will take all necessary actions to protect Iraq and our forces in the region.”
According to the US military, the airstrikes were mainly around the Baghdad area. Airstrikes also hit weapons storage facilities in Karbala, al-Musaib, and Arab Nawal Ahmad, as well as a missile storage facility and a propellant production facility in Jurf al-Saqel.
Prior to the airstrike, President Donald Trump and senior U.S. officials, including Esper, had hinted that retaliation was possible. And McKenzie told senators at the hearing that the deaths of U.S. and coalition forces created a “red line that should not be crossed” for the United States.
Kataib Hezbollah was also involved in a rocket attack on a military base in Kirkuk in late December that killed a US contractor, prompting a US military offensive.
That, in turn, led to protests at the US embassy in Baghdad. A subsequent US airstrike on January 3 struck Iran’s most powerful military leader, General Qasem Soleimani, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, leader of Iraq’s Iranian-backed militia, whose members include Kataib Hezbollah. was murdered. In response to Soleimani’s killing, Iran launched a major ballistic missile attack on Iraq’s al-Asad air base on January 8, inflicting traumatic brain injuries on more than 100 US soldiers. .
