The U.S. military conducted a defensive airstrike south of Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, according to two U.S. officials. "U.S. forces in Iraq conducted a defensive airstrike in the Musayib in Babil Province, targeting combatants attempting to launch one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWAUAS)," one of the officials told ABC News. Unlike previous U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that were in retaliation for the attacks on U.S. bases, Tuesday's airstrike was described as defensive and targeting militants preparing to undertake an attack. Since earlier this year, the U.S. and Iraq have been discussing changes to the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. US carries out defensive airstrike in Iraq: Officials originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Source: ABC News July 31, 2024 08:34 UTC