U.S. strikes in Iraq, Syria target Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia group

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U.S. strikes in Iraq, Syria target Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia group

By Idrees Ali and Ahmed Rasheed

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets fly in formation during the Clear Sky 2018 multinational military drills at Starokostiantyniv Air Base in Khmelnytskyi Region, Ukraine October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

 

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out air strikes in Iraq and Syria against the Kataib Hezbollah militia group in response to the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, U.S. officials said on Sunday.

 

Iraqi security and militia sources said at least 18 militia fighters were killed and more than 50 wounded following three U.S. air strikes in Iraq on Sunday.

 

At least four local Kataib 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 Qaim district on the border with Syria.

 

The Pentagon said it had targeted three locations of the Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia group in Iraq and two in Syria. The locations included weapons storage facilities and command and control locations the group had used to plan and execute attacks on coalition forces, it said.

 

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out by F-15 fighter jets.

 

The United States had accused Kataib Hezbollah of carrying out a strike involving more than 30 rockets on Friday which killed the U.S. civilian contractor and injured four U.S. service members and two members of the Iraqi Security Forces near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

 

"In response to repeated Kata'ib Hizbollah attacks on Iraqi bases that host Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces, U.S. 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 a statement.

 

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iranian-backed forces for a series of attacks on bases in Iraq and warned Iran that any attacks by Tehran or proxies that harmed Americans or allies would be "answered with a decisive U.S. 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.

 

(Reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington and Ahmed Rasheed in Iraq; Writing by Lindsay Dunsmuir; Editing by Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-30

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[Tug]

Good!

[Nigel Garvie]

"killed U.S. civilian contractor and injured four U.S. service members and two members of the Iraqi Security Forces near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.'

 

Why are they there, for the oil of course, why else did they bother invading in the first place. Having been the direct cause of 100s of 1000s of deaths, and the rise of ISIS, the US still want their oil. Oh yes Sir. 

 

Iranian Shia militia are getting more unpopular in Iraq,  but what is Hezbollah doing there 1000s of miles from Lebanon. I think that is just for external consumption - keep the Israelis happy maybe. I really can't imagine Iraqis being happy with Hezbollah in their country, and certainly not the Kurds.(Who I believe are not Shia).