(Scypre.com) – On Monday night, the United States military conducted airstrikes on three facilities associated with Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah and its “affiliated groups” in response to an earlier attack that injured three US troops, with one in critical condition, as reported by the White House.
President Joe Biden authorized the airstrikes, which, according to a statement from US Central Command, “likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.” The Iranian-backed militant group had claimed responsibility for using a one-way attack drone to target US forces at Erbil Air Base on Monday morning.
US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson emphasized that the airstrikes specifically targeted “three locations utilized by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities.”
The strikes took place at 8:45 p.m. ET, with CENTCOM stating that there were no indications of civilian casualties. However, the Iraqi government reported one security “serviceman” killed and 18 others, including civilians, injured. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office condemned the airstrikes as “hostile acts,” asserting that they “infringe upon Iraq’s sovereignty and are deemed unacceptable under any circumstances or justification.” The government warned that such actions could damage relations between the two countries.
Kataib Hezbollah, identified as a Shia militant group posing a significant threat to US personnel in Iraq and Syria by the US Director of National Intelligence, aims to expel US and coalition forces from Iraq and establish an Iranian-aligned government. The group is also active in Syria.
President Biden ordered the airstrikes after being briefed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who characterized the attacks as “necessary and proportionate.” The Iraqi prime minister’s reference to the security “serviceman” indicated a member of Hashd Al-Shaabi, also known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a predominantly Shia paramilitary force recognized as a government entity by the Iraqi parliament in 2016.
However, the US views the PMU as Iran-backed militias and holds some responsible for attacks on US sites in Iraq and Syria.