Early today US fighter jets targeted two locations in Iraq, resulting in the death of eight pro-Iran fighters. The strikes were in retaliation for repeated attacks on American troops, according to sources from both the US and Iraq.
This action followed a similar bombardment on November 21 against Iran-backed forces.
The Iraqi government expressed condemnation, stating that it had not been consulted about the military operation on its soil.
US Central Command, in a statement on social media, reported that the military conducted precise strikes against two facilities in Iraq. The strikes were a direct response to attacks on US and coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah Brigades, part of Iraq’s armed forces under the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) umbrella, confirmed that eight of its fighters were killed in the strikes.
Earlier, a warplane targeted the vehicle of Iranian-backed fighters after they launched a short-range ballistic missile at US and allied personnel, as per the Pentagon’s announcement.
Notably, this marks the first time the US has publicly disclosed a strike on Iran-backed forces in Iraq since these forces initiated attacks in response to US support for Israel during the conflict with Hamas.
While the US has previously targeted Iran-backed groups in neighboring Syria, this incident underscores a shift in focus to Iraq. The Pentagon revealed that US forces in the region have faced at least 66 attacks since the eruption of the Gaza war on October 7.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed an attack on Al-Asad Airbase, conducted by Iran-backed militias using a close-range ballistic missile.
The assault resulted in eight injuries and minor damage to infrastructure at the Ain al-Asad Air Base, located in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, and hosting US-led coalition forces combating the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq.
