According to the U.S. Central Command (CentComm), at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Baghdad, an air strike hit an SUV. The strike had taken place in Al-Mashtal, an eastern, heavily Shia neighborhood. Both Iraqi and U.S. officials stated an attack drone was used. However, the Iraqi government was not notified before the event.
What Happened
There were also no reported civilian victims or collateral damage. Yet, one CentCom official victim was a high-ranking Kataib Hezbollah officer.
Though CentCom didn’t identify him by name, they did state that the drone attack was in response to his direct involvement in the Jordan attacks that took the lives of three American soldiers last month. The attack had taken place on a street that is very close to a lot of Iraqi official’s homes and compounds.
Nonetheless, members of the militant Kataib Hezbollah stated actually that there were three members killed in the strike. One member had even expressed their mourning for Wissam Muhammad Sabir Al-Saadi. He was also known as Abu Baqir Al-Saadi, and he acted as the commander of the militia’s Syrian branch.
Central Command also stated, “We will not hesitate to hold responsible all those who threaten our forces’ safety.” Furthermore, this retaliation from the U.S. comes after three American soldiers were killed at a Jordanian outpost.
Response to the Strike
Due to the U.S.’s negligence in telling Iraq about their planned strike, tensions have been heightened between the two governments, and also the Iraqi people. There were also rumors of citizens planning to storm the U.S. Embassy.
Also due to the U.S.’s involvement in the recent months. The Iraqi government has released a statement that the U.S. sent at least 80 strikes at targets in both Iraq and Syria just last week. Furthermore, they also reported that these strikes had killed 16, even including civilians.
These all have been done in the name of the Coalition whose intended purpose is to fight terrorist militia groups. However, Iraq isn’t fond of the persistent military attacks and presence. Iraqi Officials believe that the U.S. is setting over boundaries. In a statement released by the Iraqi government, they stated the United States’ actions were a “flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
Written By AriAnna Rathers
Sources:
AP-US drone strike in Baghdad kills high-ranking militia leader linked to attacks on American troops
CNN-US conducts strike in Iraq on Kataib Hezbollah commander responsible for attacks on American forces
Washington Times-U.S. must eliminate Iraqi Shiite militias’ Popular Mobilization Forces through targeted killings
Featured Image by ACFlick’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image by Dan Pupek’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
