US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has categorized a series of aggressive American military strikes in Iraq and Syria that killed more than two dozen people as a "defensive action" intended to protect his countrys interests in the Middle East.
"Well, it begins by an understanding that this was a defensive action designed to protect American forces and American citizens in Iraq, and it was aimed also at deterring Iran," Pompeo told Fox News on Monday.
The Pentagon announced on Sunday it had conducted "precision defensive strikes" in Iraq and Syria against five sites of Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of Iraqs Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
US forces conducted drone strikes on a number of Kataib Hezbollah bases in Iraqs western Anbar province, killing at least 25 individuals and leaving another 51 injured, according to the PMU.
Following the strikes, the Pentagon issued a statement saying that it had targeted three locations of the Iraqi fighters in Iraq and two in Syria in response to alleged attacks targeting American forces.
Iraqi President Barham Salih has condemned Washingtons attacks on Kataib Hezbollah.
The US blamed the group for carrying out a rocket barrage Friday that allegedly killed an American military contractor at a base near Kirkuk, in northern Iraq.
"They took a strike at an American facility. President Trumps been pretty darn patient, and hes made clear at the same time that when Americans lives were at risk, we would respond, and thats what the Department of Defense did yesterday," Pompeo said.
The air raids were also welcomed by Israels foreign minister, Yisrael Katz, who described the event as a "turning point in the regional response to Iran and its proxies".
Washington and Tel Aviv regularly label popular resistance movements opposed to US presence in Iraq as "Iran-led terrorist groups", a label which has been vehemently rejected by Iraqi officials.
Kataib hezbollah, along with other units operating under the PMU, have had a major role in defending Iraq from the Deash Takfiri terrorist group, which swept across Iraq in 2014.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/12348
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