USA attacks pro-Iranian militias in Iraq
Three soldiers are injured in an attack on a US base in Iraq. In response, the US bombed facilities belonging to pro-Iranian militias and at the same time warned of an escalation of the conflict in the region.
Following an attack on a base in Iraq that left three US soldiers injured, the USA attacked pro-Iranian militias in the country. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that US forces had carried out "necessary and appropriate" attacks on three facilities used by the paramilitary Kataeb Hezbollah and militia-affiliated groups.
"These precision strikes are in response to a series of attacks against US soldiers in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias," Austin continued. He referred in particular to an attack on the airbase in Erbil in the Kurdish autonomous region in the north of Iraq on Monday. According to the US, three US soldiers were injured, one of them seriously.
At the same time, the US Secretary of Defense warned of further attacks against US soldiers in the region. "We do not want to escalate the conflict in the region, but we are determined and prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and facilities."
Iraqi security sources reported that at least one member of a pro-Iranian group had been killed in attacks. Another 24 were injured. A representative of the Interior Ministry said that the attacks had targeted a site of the Hashed al-Shaabi network in the city of Hilla in Babylon province. Another attack took place in the southern province of Wassit.
More than 100 attacks recorded
Since the start of the war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas on 7 October, attacks on bases used by the US army in Iraq and Syria have increased sharply. The US military has registered more than 100 such attacks since mid-October.
The attacks in Iraq have mostly been claimed by the Islamic Resistance, a loose association of armed groups linked to the pro-Iranian Hashed al-Shaabi network. The Islamic Resistance condemns the USA's support for Israel in the war against Hamas.
Around 2,500 US soldiers are stationed in Iraq and 900 in Syria. The US-led military coalition in these countries is intended to help prevent a resurgence of the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS).
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In light of the escalating attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria, which have increased significantly since the Israel-Iran war, the USA retaliated by targeting facilities used by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. The US military accused Iran-backed militias, such as Kataeb Hezbollah and affiliate groups, of orchestrating these attacks.
Furthermore, the tension between Iran and Israel has impacted the US-Iraqi relations, as the pro-Iranian militias are seen as allies to the Iranian regime. As a result, the USA seeks to protect its interests and troops in the region while maintaining diplomatic ties with Iraq.
Source: www.ntv.de
