Dec 26, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
The Iraqi
federal government on Tuesday condemned the retaliatory airstrikes carried out
by United States forces against pro-Iran militia groups in the country earlier
in the day, saying that the attacks targeted Iraqi military bases, killing one
and injuring 18 others.
The strikes
were in retaliation to the group’s attack on forces of the US-led coalition
against the Islamic State (ISIS) based at the Erbil International Airport the
day before, which left three US service members wounded, with one in critical
condition.
The Iraqi government said that its security forces are dedicated to
safeguarding diplomatic missions in the country and that Baghdad has previously
defined the attacks against them as “hostile acts,” but stressed that the US
airstrikes are “unacceptable” and a “violation” of the country’s sovereignty.
“The Iraqi government condemns what transpired early this morning, Tuesday,
December 26, 2023, during which Iraqi military sites were targeted by the
American side justifying the act as a response… This constitutes a clear
hostile act.
It runs counter to the pursuit of enduring
mutual interests in establishing security and stability, and it opposes the
declared intention of the American side to enhance relations with Iraq.,” read
a statement from the government, adding that the 18 people who were injured in
the attacks also included civilians.
The attacks also harm the bilateral relations between the two countries and
complicates the efforts towards reaching an understanding on ending the
presence of the global coalition in Iraq, the statement added.
Iran-aligned militia groups have targeted US interests in Iraq and Syria with
rockets and drones around 100 times since October 17, in response to the
American support for Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Baghdad has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to protecting diplomatic
missions in Iraq and vowed to pursue the perpetrators of the attacks against
American interests, but has also warned Washington against taking any military
action in the country without its approval.
“While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and
fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our
facilities,” said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a statement on
Tuesday’s strikes.
The Iraqi government previously denounced the attacks on US personnel in the
country, but an American retaliatory attack against the pro-Iran groups which
killed eight members of the government-linked Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)
in late November triggered heavy backlash from Baghdad, who condemned the
attack and labeled it as a violation of its sovereignty.
Around 2,500 American troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are leading an
international coalition through Operation Inherent Resolve that has assisted
Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in the fight against ISIS, which once
held swathes of land in Iraq and Syria but was declared territorially defeated
in 2019.
Reuters, Rudaw,
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