Iraqi government condemns US retaliatory airstrikes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - 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 US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out airstrikes against multiple locations of Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq in the early hours of Tuesday. 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.