President Joe Biden has ordered the U. S. military to conduct retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups. This decision came after three U. S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq.
According to Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, an attack earlier on Monday resulted in critical injuries to one US troop. The responsibility for the attack has been claimed by Kataib Hezbollah and other affiliated groups backed by Iran. They employed a suicide attack drone for the assault.
President Biden, currently at Camp David for Christmas, was promptly informed about the attack by his national security advisor. He then instructed the Pentagon and his top security aides to develop response plans in regard to the attack on an air base in Erbil utilized by US troops.
The U. S. retaliatory strikes in Iraq occurred approximately 13 hours after the attack on U. S. personnel. The strikes, carried out at around 4:45 a. m., targeted three sites and resulted in the destruction of these facilities. It is believed that a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants were likely killed in the process, according to U. S. Central Command.
