US airstrikes hit Iran-backed militia after drone attacks in Iraq
CENTCOM is trying to deter militia attacks without starting a war.
The United States launched airstrikes against targets in Iraq and Syria before dawn on Monday, in response to a series of drone attacks on facilities used by American personnel in Iraq, the Pentagon said.
The three targeted sites — two in Syria and one in Iraq — were used by Iran-backed militias to launch drones against bases used by the United States in Iraq, spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.
Four militia members were killed in the strike at Qaim, on Syria’s side of the remote border with Iraq, according to pro-militia Sabereen news agency, which released photos of the four deceased fighters.
Iraq’s armed forces condemned the strikes, calling them a “blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security in accordance with all international conventions.”
