Iraqi parliamentary bloc threatens legal action against US over alleged crimes
Shafaq News / The "Huquq" parliamentary bloc announced its intention on Wednesday to sue the US for what it termed "crimes" committed from 2003 until the present day.
Saud Al-Saadi, a member of the bloc, told Shafaq News Agency, "We will present a bill to prosecute the US for its crimes against Iraqis between 2003 and 2023, including all criminal operations, whether targeting civilians, military units, or al-Hashed al-Shaabi (the Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF), especially the recent incident in Jurf Al-Nasr."
"We demand that the government implement the Parliament's decision on January 5, 2020, to expel foreign forces from Iraqi territory, and every incident will have consequences depending on the Iraqi government's response," he added.
Simultaneously, the Coordinating Framework comprising Iraq's ruling Shiite factions, reiterated its "firm rejection of any targeting and encroachment on Iraqi sovereignty."
The statement strongly condemned the recent attacks carried out on Iraqi soil, the latest being in the Jurf Al-Nasr area in northern Babil governorate.
Emphasizing adherence to the specified missions of all forces aligned with the Global Coalition according to Iraqi laws, the Coordination Framework highlighted that any transgression or conduct beyond combating the remnants of ISIS is considered a serious violation. It emphasized that the recent assaults contribute to an escalation of conflicts with coalition forces, which they do not wish for.
In a separate incident, a security source informed Shafaq News Agency on Wednesday morning that "American drones executed strikes targeting facilities affiliated with the PMU - Hezbollah Brigades within the Saadat area in Jurf Al-Nasr (formerly Jurf Al-Sakhar)."
The source stated that the airstrikes resulted in the deaths of four PMF fighters and injuries to two others.
Furthermore, the US military, in a statement released early Wednesday, confirmed, "The US Central Command forces carried out precise and separate strikes on two facilities in Iraq."
The statement stressed that the strikes were a direct response to attacks on American forces and Coalition troops by Iran and Tehran-backed groups.
Later, a senior security source said that the death toll from the US airstrikes targeting PMF bases in Jurf Al-Nasr had risen to six casualties.
The source noted that this toll was "preliminary and subject to increase due to the severity of injuries sustained by some fighters."
Yesterday, the US forces officially claimed responsibility for the attack targeting "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Hezbollah Brigades" west of Baghdad.
An American military official told Reuters, "US forces in Iraq responded to an attack targeting the Ain Al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad," without providing further details.
