US airstrikes target Iran-backed militias in Syria, Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) – The US military, led by President Joe Biden, has carried out air strikes against allegedly “facilities used by Iran-backed militias” near the Iraq-Syria border.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the militia would use the facilities to launch unmanned aerial vehicle attacks against US forces in Iraq.

Kirby said the U.S. military targeted three operations and weapons dumps on Sunday – two in Syria and one in Iraq.

He described the air strikes as “defensive” and said they were launched in response to the attacks by militias.

“The United States has taken necessary, appropriate and deliberate measures to limit the risk of escalation – but also to send a clear and unequivocal message of deterrence,” said Kirby.

The Pentagon said the facilities were used by Iran-backed militias, including Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.

Two Iraqi militiamen told The Associated Press in Baghdad that four militiamen were killed in the air strikes near the border with Syria. Both officers spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to make official statements. They said the first attack hit an arms cache on Syrian territory where militiamen were killed. The second blow hit the border strip.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that is closely monitoring the Syrian conflict through local activists, reported that at least five Iraqi militiamen were killed in the air strikes.

The Iran-backed Iraqi factions vowed revenge for the attack in a joint statement and would continue to target US forces.

“We … will avenge the blood of our righteous martyrs on the perpetrators of this heinous crime, and with God’s help we will make the enemy taste the bitterness of vengeance,” the statement said.

U.S. military officials are increasingly alarmed about drone strikes on U.S. military bases in Iraq, which have become more frequent since a U.S.-controlled drone killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport last year. The Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack. The strike drew the ire of most Shiite Iraqi lawmakers and prompted parliament to pass a non-binding resolution to pressure the Iraqi government to evict foreign troops from the country.

Sunday’s strikes are the second time the Biden government has taken military action in the region. In February, the US launched air strikes against facilities in Syria near the Iraqi border that were allegedly used by Iranian-backed militias.

The Pentagon said the attacks were in retaliation for a February missile attack in Iraq that killed a civilian contractor and injured a U.S. soldier and other coalition forces.

At the time, Biden said Iran should view its decision to authorize US air strikes in Syria as a warning that it may face ramifications for its support of militias that threaten US interests or US personnel.

“You cannot act with impunity. Be careful, ”Biden said when a reporter asked what message he wanted to send.

On Sunday, Kirby said that Biden “knew he would act to protect US personnel. Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting US interests in Iraq, the President has ordered further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks. “

The Pentagon spokesman added, “The United States has acted under international law in accordance with its right to self-defense. The strikes were both necessary to address the threat and appropriately limited in scope. “

House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Sunday that the US air strikes “appear to be a targeted and proportional response to a serious and specific threat,” adding, “Protecting the military heroes who protect our freedoms.” defending is a sacred priority. “

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