US strikes militias backed by Iran on Iraq-Syria border
The US military has conducted defensive precision airstrikes against three facilities near the Iraq-Syria border region Sunday evening.
According to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, the facilities are used by several Iran-backed militia groups engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, including Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).
"As demonstrated by this evening's strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel. Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting US interests in Iraq, the President directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks," Kirby added.
"The United States took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation - but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message."
A US defense official with knowledge of the strikes told Fox News that US Air Force F-15s and F-16s were used in the operation. The strikes took place at approximately 6 p.m. Eastern Time, or 1 a.m. local time.
At least one facility used by Iran's militia forces to launch and recover drones was destroyed, the official added. Recent strikes by the crude drones have targeted Americans in Baghdad and Erbil in northern Iraq.
Meanwhile President Biden directed airstrikes on Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region in response to unmanned aerial vehicle attacks, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement Sunday.
Details: U.S. military forces conducted the "defensive precision airstrikes" against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the region on Sunday evening, said Kirby, who stressed the U.S. strikes were legal and in self-defense.
"The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq," he added.
"Specifically, the US strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries. Several Iran-backed militia groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), used these facilities."
Driving the news: Pentagon spokesperson Cmdr. Jessica McNulty said in an emailed statement that Iranbacked militias "have conducted at least five one-way UAV attacks against facilities used by U.S. and Coalition personnel in Iraq since April as well as ongoing rocket attacks against US and Coalition forces."
"The strikes were necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation," she added.
"Through these and other means, we seek to make clear to Iran and Iranbacked militia groups that there will be serious consequences if they continue to attack, or to arm, fund, and train militia groups that attack our people. We will take necessary and appropriate measures to defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region."
Biden said in February when he directed US military forces to strike
Iran-backed militia groups that he wanted to warn the Iranian government that it "can't act with impunity." Of note: McNulty said it's too early to assess whether there had been any casualties.
British monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "at least five Iran-backed Iraqi militia fighters were killed and several others were wounded in an attack by US warplanes" on Syria's side of the border, per AFP.
The big picture: The airstrikes come at a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and Iran, as the two nations hold talks on returning Tehran to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran's hardline President-elect Ebrahim Raisi last week ruled out meeting with President Biden. What to watch: Senators will consider repealing the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq after the House backed the action earlier this month.
Biden declined to comment to reporters on the latest airstrikes after returning to the White House Sunday evening from a weekend at Camp David, telling reporters: "I'll talk to you tomorrow," CNN notes.