The U.S. conducted airstrikes against facilities used by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq after a ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces.
The Iraqi government, which has done little to curb the attacks despite numerous requests from the Biden administration, condemned the U.S. strikes as “dangerous escalation.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted “discrete, precision strikes” against the facilities “in direct response to the attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups, including the one in Iraq on November 21, which involved use of close-range ballistic missiles.”
The November 21 attack CENTCOM referred to involved a close-range ballistic missile launched by Iranian proxy forces against Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq. The missile detonation caused “eight injuries and minor structural damage,” according to the Pentagon.
The ballistic missile strike was a significant escalation from earlier militia attacks in Iraq and Syria, which generally used less powerful rockets and bomb-laden drones. The Pentagon counted 66 attacks against U.S. forces since October 17, 32 in Iraq and 34 in Syria, with 62 injuries to U.S. personnel before the ballistic missile attack.
“Immediately following the attack, a U.S. military AC-130 aircraft in the area conducted a self-defense strike against an Iranian-backed militia vehicle and a number of Iranian-backed militia personnel involved in this attack,” Pentagon spokesman Brig.
