US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that US forces carried out strikes targeting sites used by Iran-backed militants in Iraq early Wednesday. The strikes, which targeted Ketaeb Hezbollah, a militant faction affiliated with the former Hashed Al-Shaabi paramilitaries, left two people dead, according to Iraqi sources. The strikes came just days after US troops in western Iraq were targeted with ballistic missiles and rockets in an attack the Pentagon blamed on militants supported by Tehran.
According to Austin, the strikes were “necessary and proportionate” and were in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against US and coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias.
In a statement, the US Defence Secretary said, “Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq. These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against U.S. and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias.”
“I am grateful for both the skill and professionalism with which our personnel planned and conducted these strikes and the continued efforts of our troops on the ground as they work with regional partners to further dismantle and degrade ISIS,” he added.
The US Central Command also stated that the strikes targeted Ketaeb Hezbollah headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and drone capabilities.
Significantly, the US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted in more than 150 attacks since mid-October, according to the Pentagon. These attacks have been claimed by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a loose alliance of Iran-linked militants that oppose US support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.
In addition to the strikes in Iraq, several drones targeted an air base in Iraq hosting US troops on Tuesday. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating they were acting in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The situation is becoming increasingly volatile as Iran-allied groups, from the Houthis to Hezbollah, have rallied in support of Hamas and engaged in a series of targeted missile attacks. The risk of a wider, more chaotic, and deadlier conflict involving an array of regional enemies is a growing concern as the situation continues to unfold.
