WASHINGTON – The U.S. military has launched an airstrike in Iraq that killed the leader of an Iranian proxy group involved in recent attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, officials said Thursday.
A precision strike in Baghdad targeted a vehicle carrying senior Iraqi military official Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi. Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba – A US-designated terrorist organization based in Iraq and supported by Tehran.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iranian-backed militia coalition nominally under the control of the Iraqi military, said Mr al-Saidi, also known as 'Abu Taqwa', was killed 'as a result of a brutal American invasion'. said in a statement. after the strike.
The group is believed to have been responsible for at least some of the more than 100 drone and missile attacks on U.S. military installations in Syria and Iraq since October 17, 10 days after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. There is.
The Pentagon said dozens of U.S. troops were injured in the attacks, but most of the injuries were minor.
“This individual was actively involved in the planning and execution of attacks against American personnel,” said Air Force Brig. “As we have long stated, we maintain our inherent right to self-defense and will take the necessary steps to protect our personnel,” Pentagon spokesman Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters. .
Another person, whom Ryder described as an “associate” of al-Saidi, was also killed in the attack and five others were injured, officials said.
The move could jeopardize the U.S. military's position in Iraq, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, who is supported by political factions linked to Iran, saying Baghdad “requires a United Nations presence.” The attack is scheduled to take place a week after he said, “We are trying to end it.” Power. ”
After the end of the Iraq war, coalition forces aimed to advise Iraqi forces against ISIS, which continues to carry out regular attacks in Iraq despite losing the last of its self-proclaimed “caliphate” territory in 2017. He remained in the country at the invitation of Baghdad.
The Iraqi military accused international coalition forces of “unprovoked attacks on Iraqi security services acting in accordance with great powers.” [Iraq] Authorized,” Iraqi military spokesman Yehia Rasul said in a statement.
Outside of Harakat Hezbollah, al-Saidi also held senior positions in the PMF.
Thursday marked the second time in less than two weeks that the United States launched attacks on Iranian-backed targets in Iraq.
On Christmas Day, President Biden ordered retaliatory strikes after three American soldiers were injured, one seriously, in a drone strike by Iranian-backed terrorists who had visited a U.S. military base earlier that day.
Thursday's attack also came two days after Hamas deputy leader Saleh Allouri was killed in an apparent Israeli drone strike on the outskirts of Beirut.
with post wire
