Washington DC, United States

The United States targeted sites used by Iran-backed militants in Iraq on Tuesday (Jan 23), said the Pentagon. Two people were killed and two wounded in the bombardments, said Iraqi officials. 

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The US strikes come days after a number of American military personnel were injured after a ballistic missile attack by Iran-backed militants hit Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.

US strikes in Iraq 

The latest strikes targeted three facilities used by Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah and other Tehran-affiliated groups in Iraq, said the US officials. 

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WATCH | US strikes three facilities in Iraq linked to Iran-backed militia for attacks on US forces

The strikes “are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against US and coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria” by Iranian-backed militia groups, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. 

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The US Central Command (CENTCOM) also released a statement saying that their forces “conducted unilateral airstrikes” targeting “KH headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack UAV capabilities.”

The strikes, according to US defence officials, were carried out at two sites in western Iraq, Al-Qa’im near the Syrian border and Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad.

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Iraqi official criticises US strikes

AFP report citing Iraqi sources said that the US strikes targeted Ketaib Hezbollah, a militant faction affiliated with the former Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitaries. 

Two people were killed and two wounded in the bombardments in the al-Qaim sector, said the Iraqi interior ministry and former member of the Hashed al-Shaabi, whose fighters have been integrated into the regular army.

However, a Reuters report citing a medical source and a militant source said four people were wounded.

A senior Iraqi official later took to X and criticised Washington's move saying that these strikes "do not help bring calm" and called them a "flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty". 

Biden under pressure

According to the Pentagon, US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted in more than 150 attacks since mid-October. 

The spike in attacks against American forces in the region and Washington’s response to them also comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. 

Therefore, US President Joe Biden has reportedly come under pressure to militarily respond to attacks on US forces despite political sensitivities in Baghdad. In his criticism of US' strikes in Iraq, the senior official also asked Washington to pressure Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza. 

"The US side should pile on pressure for a halt to the (Israeli) offensive in Gaza rather than targeting and bombing the bases of an Iraqi national body," National Security Adviser Qassem al-Aaraji said in a post on X.

The CENTCOM said the Al Asad airbase which also hosts American troops came under attack by Iran-backed militia with ballistic missiles and rockets on Saturday (Jan 20) evening. 

ALSO READ | US military personnel injured after ballistic missile attack by Iran-backed militants on airbase in Iraq

The attack resulted in minor injuries, but it was not immediately clear how many military personnel were wounded. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed militia group, claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack on the base. 

“The President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend them and our interests. We do not seek to escalate conflict in the region,” said Austin. 

He added, “We are fully prepared to take further measures to protect our people and our facilities. We call on these groups and their Iranian sponsors to immediately cease these attacks.”

The US has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, advising and assisting local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. 

(With inputs from agencies)