Biden Orders Strikes On Iranian- Backed Militias In Syria, Iraq

 

The U.S. army launched airstrikes in opposition to Iranian-backed militias in Syria in retaliation for drone attacks, the Pentagon introduced Sunday evening.

The strikes focused sites that been used to launch drone attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby stated in a statement.

"Specifically, the U.S. strikes centered operational and weapons storage facilities at two places in Syria and one vicinity in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries," Kirby said. "Several Iran-backed militia groups, which include Kata'ib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, used these facilities."

U.S. F-15 and F-16 warplanes carried out the airstrikes, concentrated on three facilities that had been used to manipulate the drones and for logistics, according to a Defense official who was not approved to talk publicly. All the pilots returned safely. It's too early to tell if there were casualties on the ground amongst civilians or militants, the official said.

Navy Cmdr. Jessica McNulty stated Sunday night that Iranian-backed militias have launched 5 drone attacks against facilities used by U.S. and allied troops in Iraq since April. Militia members have also fired rockets.

The strikes hit their supposed targets, McNulty said.

"Their elimination will disrupt and degrade the operational capacity of the militia groups and deter extra attacks," she said.

President Joe Biden ordered a similar retaliatory strike in February. That was the first attack ordered by Biden and came in response to rocket attacks on a base in northern Iraq that killed a contractor and wounded U.S. and allied troops.