BAGHDAD — Retaliatory strikes near the Iraqi-Syrian border Dec. 29 on Iran-linked armed groups, after an attack on a base near Kirkuk that killed a US contractor two days prior, may mark a significant escalation between the major foreign powers vying for influence in the country.
The target, Kataib Hezbollah (KH), is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. Part of it has been incorporated into official Iraqi government forces within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).