US Forces Strike Hezbollah Militants in Iraq in Retaliation for Drone Attack

This Monday, the 25th, US forces attacked Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters in Iraq in response to a drone strike that injured three American soldiers.

“These precision strikes are in response to a series of attacks by Iranian-backed militias against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, including an attack by Iran-aligned militias Hezbollah and its affiliates, earlier today, on Erbil Air Base and with the aim of disrupting and reducing the capabilities of those groups,” the defense said. Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said Hezbollah claimed responsibility for Monday's attack as part of a network of Iranian-backed militants, in which, he said, one of the soldiers was critically wounded.

US and coalition forces are operating in the region as part of the mission to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

These forces have been the target of a series of attacks by Iranian-backed groups, 100 of which have occurred since Israel launched its offensive to eliminate the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The U.S. military said most of those strikes were intercepted or missed their targets without causing damage, but many were injured, as was the case today.

Previous retaliatory strikes, including U.S. strikes in November, have targeted Hezbollah and other groups.