The Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued its targeting of American bases in Syria with drones on Saturday. The armed faction stated in a press release that these attacks are in response to the ‘Israeli aggression on Gaza,’ which has entered its fourth month. The statement further explained that as part of their strategy to resist the American occupation in Iraq and the region, and in retaliation for the Zionist entity’s massacres against the people of Gaza, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq attacked two American occupation bases, Al-Tanf and Al-Shaddadi bases in Syria, with drones.”
“The Iraqi armed faction reiterated in its statement its commitment to ‘continue to strike the enemy’s strongholds.’ Iraqi militias announced on Friday that they had bombed an American military base in the Kurdistan region with drones, describing it as a response to ‘the Israeli aggression on Gaza for 91 days.’ The militia said in a statement, ‘We attacked the Harir base northeast of Erbil Governorate in northern Iraq with drones.’ It is noted that the American bases in Iraqi and Syrian territories have been targeted more than 110 times by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, in response to these attacks, the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces’ headquarters were targeted by American drones, resulting in the death of several of its members, including a brigade commander.”
“The Iraqi government condemned the American attacks as a violation of the country’s sovereignty. The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, affirmed his firm and principled stance on ending the presence of the international coalition in his country. According to a press statement relayed by the Iraqi News Agency ‘INA,’ Sudani announced the formation of a joint committee to schedule the withdrawal of the international coalition forces from Iraq.
Since mid-October, U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have faced over 100 attacks, including incidents involving one-way attack drones, rockets, mortars, and close-range ballistic missiles. These attacks have resulted in injuries to U.S. troops, though most have either missed their targets or been intercepted by U.S. defenses. As of mid-December, 66 U.S. troops had been injured, with the injuries classified as “non-serious” by the Pentagon. All the injured personnel have reportedly returned to duty.
In response to these attacks, the U.S. military has carried out strikes on facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in Syria. These include precision airstrikes targeting leaders and members of militias such as Harakat-al-Nujaba, responsible for attacks on U.S. forces. The U.S. has also designated Harakat-al-Nujaba as a terrorist organization. Despite these retaliatory actions, it remains unclear if they will deter future attacks against U.S. forces.
The attacks are believed to be carried out by Iranian-backed militias and are seen as a response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and another 900 in Syria, primarily tasked with assisting in the fight against remnants of the Islamic State terror group. However, since Israel’s military campaign against Iran-allied Hamas in Gaza, which began following the October 7, 2023, terror attack, these Iranian proxy forces have increasingly targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.
Iraq’s Kataeb Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militia, has also been involved in these attacks, vowing more assaults on U.S. forces. The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, has taken steps to address the situation, including ordering investigations into the attacks and making changes to the security forces in charge of sensitive areas like Baghdad’s Green Zone.
