(CNN) The US carried out airstrikes on Thursday against multiple Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq, according to the US Defense Department. The weapons storage facilities included areas where weapons used to attack American and coalition troops were stored. "These strikes were defensive, proportional, and in direct response to the threat posed by Iranian-backed Shia militia groups (SMG) who continue to attack bases hosting OIR coalition forces," the department statement read. The statement added, "These terror groups must cease their attacks on U.S. and coalition forces or face consequences at a time and place of our choosing. That death prompted retaliatory US airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia targets in Iraq and Syria.

Source: CNN March 12, 2020 22:35 UTC