The Iraqi government says one Iraqi service member was killed and 18 others were wounded in a raid on Tuesday.
The Iraqi government said that US strikes on Iranian-allied forces in Iraq led to the death of an Iraqi soldier and the wounding of at least 18 others.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that the strikes, which were launched early Tuesday, targeted three sites used by Kataib Hezbollah and its affiliated groups. This was in response to the Kataib Hezbollah attack the previous day on the Erbil air base that injured three American soldiers, one of them in serious condition, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Austin said the “necessary and proportionate” strikes were intended to “disable and degrade” the capabilities of Iran-aligned groups responsible for attacks against American personnel.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi government condemned the US strikes, describing them as “hostile acts” that violate Iraqi sovereignty.
The strikes “harm bilateral relations between the two countries,” a statement issued by the Iraqi Prime Minister said, citing a statement issued by the Iraqi Prime Minister. Iraqi government news agency.
“Defending our interests”
US forces have repeatedly targeted sites used by Iran and its loyal forces in Iraq and Syria in response to dozens of attacks on US and allied forces in the region since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
US officials said on Tuesday that the US military would continue to respond if US soldiers were targeted.
“The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing if these attacks continue,” Watson said.
“Let me be clear — the president and I will not hesitate to take action to defend the United States, our forces, and our interests,” Austin said. There is no higher priority.”
US Central Command said initial assessments of the US military's recent strikes indicate that they destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed several Kataib Hezbollah fighters, without killing any civilians.
These strikes are the latest indication of the extent to which the Israeli war in Gaza has repercussions across the Middle East, where there is widespread anger over the high Palestinian death toll.
At least 20,424 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise, multi-pronged attack on southern Israel, according to Palestinian authorities.
Washington accused Iranian-affiliated forces in Iraq and Syria of launching regular attacks on American forces and allied forces in the region since the start of the war in Gaza. US officials announced at least 103 attacks against their forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17.
Tehran did not comment on the recent strikes, but it previously denied directing proxy groups to attack US forces in the region.
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