The United States carried out retaliatory air strikes on Monday in Iraq after a one-way drone attack earlier in the day by Iran-aligned terrorists that left one U.S. service member in critical condition and wounded two others.
The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, under an umbrella of Iranian-backed militants, claimed credit for the attack that utilized a one-way attack drone.
U.S. President Joe Biden directed the military to conduct airstrikes in response to an attack by Iranian-supported militias in northern Iraq, which injured three American service members. The National Security Council spokesperson reported that one of these service members sustained severe injuries. Additionally, Iran has accused Israel of an airstrike near Damascus, Syria, which resulted in the death of an Iranian general closely associated with the late Gen. Qassem Soleimani who was assassinated in 2022. Iranian authorities have threatened retaliation.
Iraq’s government on Tuesday condemned the air strikes on Iraqi military positions that it said killed one serviceman and wounded 18 people, calling them a “clear hostile act.” They came at a time of heightened fears of a regional spillover of the Israel-Hamas war.
U.S. Centcom posted on X, “In response to multiple attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, U.S. military forces conducted airstrikes against multiple facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq… Earlier in the day, Iranian sponsored Kataib Hezbollah terrorists and affiliated groups attacked coalition forces at Erbil, Iraq resulting in several injuries. Early assessments indicate that these U.S. airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants. There are no indications that any civilian lives were affected. The U.S. military will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these strikes.”
“These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks. We will always protect our forces,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. Central Command Commander.
This latest incident adds to a series of hostile actions against U.S. forces in the region, including over a hundred attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militias since a conflict between Israel and Hamas began over two months ago. In response to various attacks, the U.S. has conducted strikes against militia targets, including after a missile attack on Al-Assad Air Base in Iraq. Iran has also been implicated in attacks in the Red Sea region by Yemen’s Houthi militants.
The U.S. government has been attempting to manage the situation without escalating it into a broader regional conflict. This approach has received criticism from some quarters. American troops remain in Iraq and Syria, mainly to assist local forces and combat the Islamic State group, and have faced numerous attacks, none of which have been fatal, since the start of the current Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7.