The government in Baghdad has condemned the United States for a series of air raids which killed eight Iran-backed fighters, saying it violated Iraqi sovereignty.
The US did not coordinate the attacks on militia positions south of Baghdad on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning with Iraq, government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said. The strikes constitute an “unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty”, he added.
Pro-Iran militia Kataib Hezbollah, also known as Hezbollah Brigades, confirmed on Wednesday that eight of its fighters were killed in the US strikes. It warned in a statement that the attacks “will not go unpunished”.
US Central Command said the strikes were retaliation for “attacks against US and coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups”.
US positions under fire
The strikes are the first the US has announced against Iran-backed forces in Iraq since those groups launched a flurry of attacks against US targets in response to Washington’s support for Israel in the ongoing Gaza war.
Washington has, however, targeted Iran-backed groups in neighbouring Syria, where its positions have also been under fire.
Source: Aljazeera.com
