White House says strikes focused three websites utilized by Kataeb Hezbollah and different Iran-affiliated teams in Iraq.
The United States has launched strikes on Iran-aligned forces in Iraq after a drone assault that wounded three US service members, one in every of them critically, the White House has introduced.
US President Joe Biden ordered the strikes on three websites utilized by Kataeb Hezbollah and affiliated teams in Iraq, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson mentioned in a press release on Monday evening.
Watson mentioned the strikes “focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities”.
“The President places no higher priority than the protection of American personnel serving in harm’s way,” she mentioned. “The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue.”
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned the “necessary and proportionate” strikes had been meant to “disrupt and degrade” the capabilities of Iran-aligned teams answerable for assaults towards US personnel, together with a drone assault on the Erbil Air Base on Monday.
“Today’s attack led to three injuries to US personnel, leaving one service member in critical condition. My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured today,” Austin mentioned.
“And let me be clear – the President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests. There is no higher priority.”
The US Central Command mentioned early assessments indicated the strikes destroyed the focused services and sure killed a number of Kataeb Hezbollah fighters, and that no civilians had been killed.
The strikes are the most recent indication of how Israel’s battle in Gaza is reverberating throughout the Middle East, the place there’s widespread outrage over the mounting Palestinian loss of life toll.
At least 20,424 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, when the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched a shock multi-pronged assault on southern Israel, in line with Palestinian authorities.
Washington has blamed Iranian proxy forces in Iraq and Syria for normal assaults on US and allied forces within the area because the begin of the battle in Gaza. US officers have reported not less than 103 assaults towards its troops in Iraq and Syria since October 17.
Tehran has not commented on the most recent strikes however has beforehand denied directing proxy teams to assault US forces within the area.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/26/us-strikes-iraq-after-blaming-iran-backed-groups-for-drone-attack?traffic_source=rss
