Iraq on Wednesday accused the United States of contributing to a “reckless escalation” of violence in the region following U.S. airstrikes against Iranian-backed groups in the country.
The pre-dawn airstrike took place against the backdrop of an already explosive regional situation intensified by the war in Gaza between Washington’s ally Israel and the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the U.S. military had “necessary and He said it was an appropriate attack.
“These precision strikes are part of a series of escalating attacks by Iranian-backed militias against U.S. and coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria,” he said, referring to the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS). This is a direct response.”
The US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria has been the target of more than 150 attacks since mid-October, many of them by a loose alliance of Iranian-linked groups opposed to US support for Israel in the Gaza Strip. claimed by Iraq’s Islamic Resistance Movement. Conflict.
The U.S. military has carried out numerous airstrikes against the group responsible, prompting a backlash from Iraq, which has demanded the coalition’s withdrawal, saying it is deviating from its mission to support operations against Islamic State jihadists. I’m there.
A spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia said: “This unacceptable act undermines years of cooperation, blatantly violates Iraq’s sovereignty and contributes to the reckless escalation… “At a time when we are already facing the risk of escalating conflict.” Sudani.
“We treat these operations as acts of aggression and will take the necessary actions to protect the lives and dignity of the Iraqi people,” added Yehia Rassoul, military spokesman for the Iraqi leader.
– “Clear violation” –
Iraq’s national security adviser, Qasem al-Araj, echoed his comments, saying the pre-dawn attack was another “clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty” and “will not help bring peace.” ” he said.
“The US side should increase pressure to stop[Israel’s]attacks in Gaza, instead of targeting and bombing Iraqi state bases,” Alazi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He mentioned Hashd al-Islam in his post. Shaabi.
Iraqi sources said the US airstrikes targeted Hezbollah brigades, an affiliate of Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), a coalition of Iran-backed former militias now integrated into Iraq’s regular army. It is said that
They attacked positions in the Jurf al-Sakhr area south of Baghdad and the al-Qaim area on the Syrian border.
The Hashed newspaper said in a statement that one person was killed and others injured in the shelling of the al-Qaim area. Interior Ministry officials and Hashd newspaper sources initially reported that two people were killed and two others injured in the attack.
After previous U.S. airstrikes, Iraq’s prime minister called on the U.S.-led coalition to withdraw, saying the deployment must end to ensure Iraq’s security.
Approximately 2,500 US troops are stationed in Iraq, and approximately 900 US troops are stationed in neighboring Syria.
～Drone is targeted～
The U.S. military said the attack targeted the Hezbollah Brigade’s “command, storage, and training sites for rocket, missile, and one-way attack UAV (drone) capabilities.”
The brigade has been classified as a “terrorist” group by the US government and subject to US sanctions, and has already been the target of US attacks in recent weeks. The group openly supports the Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq.
Late Tuesday, several drones targeted an Iraqi air base housing American troops, causing injuries and damage, U.S. military officials said.
“Multiple attack drones were launched” at the Ain al-Asad base in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, a US military official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity due to confidentiality reasons.
“Latest reports include injuries and damage to infrastructure,” the official said, adding that details were not yet known.
Meanwhile, Iraqi security officials said a drone attempting to target the base was shot down.
Iraq’s Islamic Resistance Group claimed responsibility for two drone attacks on bases on Tuesday and said in a statement that it was acting in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, the same base was targeted by at least a dozen missiles, an attack that White House deputy national security adviser John Feiner described as “very serious.”
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