Strike targets Hezbollah in retaliation for attack on US base in Jordan
A US drone strike in Baghdad has killed a key commander of an Iran-backed militia, Kataib Hezbollah, in a retaliatory move following an attack on a US military base in Jordan that left three American troops dead. According to US officials, the strike targeted a vehicle in the Mashtal neighbourhood of Baghdad’s eastern district on Wednesday. Iraqi security sources confirmed that at least three people were killed, including the leader of Kataib Hezbollah.
The US has blamed the Iranian-backed militia for the deadly assault on the Jordan base, which prompted the airstrike in Baghdad. One of the individuals killed in the attack was reportedly a commander overseeing military operations in Syria, further escalating tensions between the US and Iranian-aligned groups in the region. The drone fired three rockets at the targeted vehicle, causing a series of explosions that were heard by witnesses in the area.
This latest strike comes after a series of US airstrikes in the region, including a massive operation last week in which the US targeted 85 sites across Iraq and Syria associated with Iranian-backed forces. These actions are part of a broader military response to a wave of attacks by Iran-aligned groups, which have escalated since mid-October, partly in protest of US support for Israel during the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Kataib Hezbollah, which the US has designated as a terrorist organization, has been implicated in multiple attacks on US and allied forces in the Middle East. US officials have pointed to the group as the likely culprit behind the deadly attack on the Jordan base.
The United States currently maintains around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of an international coalition aimed at combating the Islamic State group. In light of increasing tensions, the US and Iraq are also in talks regarding the future of the US military presence in the region, with discussions expected to continue in January following a request by the Iraqi Prime Minister for a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops.
