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| US military carries out 'defensive strikes' in Iraq and Syria | US military carries out 'defensive strikes' in Iraq and Syria |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| At least 18 Kata’ib Hezbollah fighters reported killed in response to attack on Iraqi base | |
| The US military has carried out what the Pentagon described as “defensive strikes” in Iraq and Syria against the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia group, two days after a US civilian contractor was killed in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. | The US military has carried out what the Pentagon described as “defensive strikes” in Iraq and Syria against the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia group, two days after a US civilian contractor was killed in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. |
| Iraqi security and militia sources said at least 18 militia fighters had been killed and more than 50 wounded following three US airstrikes in Iraq on Sunday. At least four local Kata’ib Hezbollah commanders were among the dead, the sources said, adding that one of the strikes had targeted the militia group’s headquarters near the western al-Qa’im district on the border with Syria. | |
| The Pentagon said it also targeted two locations of the Iranian-backed Shia Muslim militia group in Syria. | |
| The five sites across the two countries included weapons storage facilities and command and control locations Kata’ib Hezbollah had used to plan and execute attacks on coalition forces, it said. | |
| A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out by F-15 fighter jets. | |
| The US had accused the group of the 30-plus rocket attack on Friday that killed the civilian contractor and injured four US service members as well as two members of the Iraqi security forces near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. | The US had accused the group of the 30-plus rocket attack on Friday that killed the civilian contractor and injured four US service members as well as two members of the Iraqi security forces near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. |
| “In response to repeated Kata’ib Hezbollah attacks on Iraqi bases that host Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces, US forces have conducted precision defensive strikes ... that will degrade KH’s ability to conduct future attacks against OIR coalition forces,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said. | “In response to repeated Kata’ib Hezbollah attacks on Iraqi bases that host Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces, US forces have conducted precision defensive strikes ... that will degrade KH’s ability to conduct future attacks against OIR coalition forces,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said. |
| Earlier this month, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, blamed Iranian-backed forces for a series of attacks on bases in Iraq and warned that any attacks by Tehran or proxies that harmed the US or allies would be answered with a decisive response. | Earlier this month, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, blamed Iranian-backed forces for a series of attacks on bases in Iraq and warned that any attacks by Tehran or proxies that harmed the US or allies would be answered with a decisive response. |
| Tensions have heightened between Tehran and Washington since last year when President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy. |