US attacks pro-Iranian militia in Iraq

(Patria) - The United States says its forces carried out strikes in Iraq on three sites used by an Iran-backed militia, the BBC reported.

The "proportional" strikes targeted "the Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-linked groups," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He said the precision strikes were a "direct response" to attacks on the US and coalition allies in Iraq and Syria.

Several US military personnel were injured in a rocket attack on a base in western Iraq last week. The US military's Central Command (CentCom) said at the time that an Iran-backed militia had targeted Al Asad air base, which houses US troops, with ballistic missiles and rockets. A group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for that attack.

Austin praised the "professionalism" of US military personnel in planning and executing the strikes in Iraq on Wednesday as part of efforts "to further dismantle and degrade ISIS (Islamic State group).

Austin stressed that he and US President Joe Biden "will not hesitate to take the necessary measures" to defend American interests.

"We do not seek to escalate the conflict in the region. We are fully prepared to take further measures to protect our people and our facilities. We call on these groups and their Iranian sponsors to immediately cease these attacks," he said.

In a separate statement, CentCom said the strikes in Iraq on Wednesday were carried out at 00:15 local time (21:15 GMT Tuesday) in response to an attack, among others, on Al Asad air base in western Iraq on January 20.

"These strikes targeted (Kataib Hezbollah's) headquarters, storage facilities, and training locations for rockets and one-way attack drones," CentCom said.

The US military did not provide details on where the targeted militia sites are located in Iraq.