US military forces airstrike Iran-backed militia facilities in Iraq and Syria

US has carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria, in response to drone attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq, US Department of Defense said on Sunday.

In a statement, Pentagon said, "At President Biden's direction, US military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq-Syria border region. targets were selected because se facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq."

"Specifically, US strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to border between those countries. Several Iran-backed militia groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuha (KSS), used se facilities," statement re.

'Efforts to defeat ISIS': Pentagon Press Secretary

In anor statement, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby stated that US President Joe Biden will act to protect US personnel.
He said, "Given ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, President directed furr military action to disrupt and deter such attacks. We are in Iraq at invitation of Government of Iraq for sole purpose of assisting Iraqi Security Forces in ir efforts to defeat ISIS. strikes were both necessary to dress threat and appropriately limited in scope." Kirby also informed that US military targeted three operational and weapons storage facilities, two in Syria and one in Iraq.

“ United States took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit risk of escalation — but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message,” Kirby ded. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Sunday that U.S. airstrikes “appear to be a targeted and proportional response to a serious and specific threat." She ded, “Protecting military heroes who defend our freedoms is a sacred priority.”

Sunday’s strikes mark second time Biden ministration has taken military action in region. In February, U.S. launched airstrikes against facilities in Syria, near Iraqi border, that it said were used by Iranian-backed militia groups.

(With Agency Inputs)