In a series of incidents on Thursday, US forces encountered four attacks in both Iraq and Syria, involving a combination of rockets and armed drones. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties or damage to infrastructure, as disclosed by an unnamed US military official. The official stated that the attacks targeted US and international forces at two locations in northeastern Syria, utilizing multiple rockets and a one-way attack drone.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, the assaults included the launch of multiple one-way drones at the Ain Al-Asad airbase, situated west of Baghdad. Additionally, a drone was deployed at a base near Erbil airport in northern Iraq, where US forces are stationed. A group identifying itself as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, believed to represent various Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups, claimed responsibility for these attacks earlier in the day.
This sequence of events unfolded shortly after the US conducted a strike on the Iran-aligned Kataeb Hezbollah (KH) armed group south of Baghdad. KH reported eight casualties as a result of the strike, prompting condemnation from the Iraqi government, which deemed it an escalation and violation of sovereignty.
US officials asserted that the strikes on Iran-aligned groups were a response to an escalation in their attacks, which had targeted US and international forces multiple times since October 17. This date notably coincided with the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war. As of Thursday, the US military official disclosed a total of 36 attacks in Iraq and 37 in Syria, underscoring the ongoing security challenges in the region.
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