The US military has struck the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq, says US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The attack comes in response to three US soldiers being injured in an attack on Christmas Day.
The attack on three facilities belonging to the militia was carried out on the orders of President Joe Biden. It came after an attack on an air base in Erbil in northern Iraq on Christmas Day in which three American soldiers were wounded, one of them critically, Austin said.
“These precision strikes are in response to a series of attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias,” he said in the statement.
Attacks against US forces in the Middle East have increased since the war between Israel and Hamas began. Washington has singled out Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq and Syria as being behind them.
“While we are not seeking to escalate the conflict in the region, we are fully prepared to take any additional necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities,” Austin said.
About 2,500 US troops are stationed in Iraq and about 900 in Syria, as part of efforts to prevent IS from regaining control in the region.