Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
28-06-2021
WASHINGTON/ TEHRAN/ DAMASCUS/ BAGHDAD: The United States said on Sunday it carried out a round of air raids against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq and Syria, in response to drone attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq.
In a statement, the US military said it targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq. It did not say whether it believed anyone was killed or injured.
The attacks came at the direction of President Joe Biden, the second time he has ordered retaliatory attacks against Iran-backed militia since taking office five months ago. Biden last ordered limited bombing against a target in Syria in February, that time in response to rocket attacks in Iraq.
“As demonstrated by this evening’s strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect US personnel,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The attacks came even as Biden’s administration is looking to potentially receive a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. The attacks appeared to show Biden’s efforts to compartmentalize attacks to protect American interests, while simultaneously engaging Tehran in diplomacy.
His critics have said Iran cannot be trusted and have pointed to the drone attacks as further evidence that Iran and its proxies will never accept a US military presence in Iraq or Syria.
Biden and the White House declined to comment on the attacks on Sunday.
Since the start of the year there have been more than 40 attacks against US interests in Iraq, where 2,500 American troops are deployed as part of an international coalition to fight what remains of the ISIL (ISIS) group.
The vast majority have been bombs against logistics convoys, while 14 were rocket attacks, some of them claimed by pro-Iran factions that aim to pressure Washington into withdrawing all their troops.
The attacks came one day after Iraqi Kurdish officials said three explosives-laden drones hit near the northern Iraqi city of Arbil, where the US has a consulate.
It also occurred as the Hashed al-Shaabi, a pro-Iran paramilitary alliance opposed to the US presence in Iraq, held a military parade near Baghdad attended by senior officials.
Two US officials, speaking to the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, said Iran-backed militias had carried out at least five drone attacks against facilities in Iraq used by US and coalition personnel since April.
The Pentagon said the facilities targeted were used by Iran-backed militia including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
One of the facilities targeted was used to launch and recover the drones, a defence official said.
The US military used F-15 and F-16 jet fighters in the raids and said the pilots returned safely. (Int’l News Desk)
