Iraq condemns ‘irresponsible’ US air strikes on Iran-backed groups

Fighters lift flags of Iraq and paramilitary groups, including Kataib Hezbollah, during a funeral for militants killed in a US strike in northern Iraq last month

Iraq condemns ‘irresponsible’ US air strikes on Iran-backed groups

BBC-Jan 24th2024

By Lipika Pelham

The Iraqi government has strongly condemned US strikes which targeted sites used by Iranian-backed groups in Iraq on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said they “blatantly” violated his country’s sovereignty.

The US said its “proportionate” attacks had targeted “Iran-affiliated groups”.

The paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said the “treacherous” US action killed one of their fighters.

The PMF, which is dominated by Iran-backed Shia Muslim militias, said a number of other fighters were injured in strikes on their bases in al-Qaim, a town on the Syrian border in western Anbar province, and in Jurf al-Nasr, in the central province of Babil.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes on three facilities belonging to the Kataib Hezbollah militia and other groups were “in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks” against US and other international forces in Iraq and Syria.

Major General Yehia Rasool, a spokesman for Prime Minister Sudani, said in a statement that the US action was “contributing to a reckless escalation”.

“This unacceptable act undermines years of co-operation… at a time when the region is already grappling with the danger of expanding conflict, the repercussions of the aggression on Gaza,” he added, referring to the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

He added that Iraq would treat the US operations “as acts of aggression” against its people on their land, and urged the international community to help restore peace.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Iraq national security adviser Qassem al-Aaraji said the US action would “not help bring calm”.

He added that “the US should pile on pressure for a halt to the Israeli offensive in Gaza rather than targeting and bombing the bases of an Iraqi national body”.

Last week, four US military personnel were injured in a ballistic missile and rocket attack on Iraq’s Al Asad air base, in Anbar province.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that they had returned to duty and that there was no significant damage to facilities.

The US military’s Central Command (Centcom) said an Iran-backed militia targeted the air base, which hosts American troops.