The US strike targeted official Iraqi troops, Iran-backed faction says

Shafaq News/ Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada’a said today, Saturday, that the late US airstrike took place inside the Iraqi territories and targeted official Iraqi troops from Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces- PMF).

The Katai’b’s spokesperson, Kadhim Al-Fartousi, said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency, “the late US airstrike took place inside the Iraqi territories and targeted official Iraqi troops from Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi, Brigade 42 specifically.” He added, “The airstrikes did not target any of the leaders or other resistance factions, but an official faction from Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi at the Iraqi borders.”

Al-Fartousi indicated, “The resistance troops have the right to avenge in all means they find suitable and in any time or place.”

The US airforces targeted Iranian-backed factions in the east of the country on Thursday after Iran’s missile attacks on US targets in Iraq.

The airstrikes targeted faction sites on the Syrian side of the Iraqi-Syrian frontier, where groups backed by Iran control a vital crossing for weapons, personnel, and goods. Local sources and a medical source in eastern Syria told Reuters that at least 17 people had been killed but gave no further details. That toll could not be confirmed.

The Pentagon said it had preliminary information about casualties but did not provide any further details.

Western officials and some Iraqi officials accuse Iranian-backed groups of involvement in deadly rocket attacks on US sites and personnel in Iraq over the last month.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the airstrikes in Syria were meant to send the message that Biden will always act to protect Americans.

Future US actions in the region will be deliberative and will aim to deescalate tensions in Syria, Psaki said.

It was not clear how, or whether, the US strikes might affect efforts to coax Iran back into negotiations about both sides resuming compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.