U. S. -Led Coalition Displaces Iranian-Aligned Houthi Militants in Yemen
No U. S. labor or service corps was targeted or destroyed in Iraq or Syria, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States “strongly condemns the Iranian attacks in Erbil today and extends its condolences to the families of those killed. “
“We oppose Iran’s reckless missile strikes, which undermine Iraq’s stability,” Miller said in a statement.
American troops in Iraq and Syria have faced at least 131 attacks by Iranian-backed militant groups since Oct. 17, according to Pentagon data.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, Kurdistan’s counterterrorism forces said they shot down 3 “bomb-laden drones” that were trying to target a U. S. military base near Erbil International Airport, a domain it attacked on several occasions through Iranian-backed Shiite militants. No organization immediately took responsibility for the failed attack.
Salim reported from Baghdad, Melnick from Washington and Masih from Seoul. Alex Horton in Washington contributed to this report.
Israel-Gaza War: More casualties were reported after the movements in the central Gaza Strip and in the southern city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing rising political tension over a deal on the hostage’s release, after rejecting a ceasefire and vowing to continue the war.
Conflict in the Middle East: Tensions in the region continue to rise. As Israeli troops try to seize the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, officials in Cairo warn that doing so would undermine the 1979 peace treaty. Meanwhile, a diplomatic struggle is being waged to avoid a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon.
U. S. involvement: U. S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria have killed dozens of Iran-linked militants, according to Iraqi officials. The moves were the first in retaliation by the Biden administration for an attack in Jordan that killed 3 U. S. soldiers.