An Iran-backed militia leader accused of staging recent attacks on United States personnel was killed in a retaliatory strike by the US military in Baghdad on Thursday, according to the Pentagon. The Iraq government condemned the strike as an "unjustified attack on an Iraqi security entity" that was operating with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's authorisation.
The US strike took place at 9 am GMT and targeted Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al Jawari, who was a leader of Harakat al Nujaba involved in planning and carrying out attacks against US personnel in Iraq, said Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder. "The strike also killed one other Harakat al Nujaba member. No civilians were harmed. No infrastructure or facilities were struck," said Ryder.
The US military has come under attack at least 100 times in Iraq and Syria after the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October, usually with missiles and one-way attack drones. The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighbouring Syria focused on preventing a resurgence of Islamic State militants.
Iraqi police sources and witnesses had earlier said that a drone fired at least two rockets at the headquarters in eastern Baghdad of the Nujaba militia group. Police and militia sources said that the rockets hit a vehicle in the compound and killed four people, including a militia commander and one of his aides.
Asked whether the US military struck a member of Iraq's security forces, Ryder said the individual targeted was a leader of an Iranian proxy group responsible for attacks against US personnel. Meanwhile, Iraqi militia commanders vowed to take revenge for Thursday's strike.
"We will retaliate and make the Americans regret carrying out this aggression," Abu Aqeel al-Moussawi, a local Iraqi militia commander, said. Iraqi PM Sudani has limited control over Iran-backed forces, whose support he needed to win power a year ago.
Notably, Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq and Syria oppose Israel's campaign in Gaza and hold the US partly responsible. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have also protested against Israel and have attacked several commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting international shipping.
Last month, the US embassy in Iraq came under fire by a multi-mortar attack allegedly by an Iran-backed militia, which vowed more such attacks on US interests in Iraq as America continues to back Israel. At least seven rounds of mortar were launched against the US embassy compound in Baghdad, although no injuries or infrastructural damage was reported.
Although the commander of the Iraqi militant group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Abu Alaa al-Walae, did not take responsibility for the attack, he later said that they have rejected "talk about stopping or easing operations as long as Zionist crimes continue in Gaza and the American occupation continues in Iraq".
(with inputs from Reuters)
