The US military carried out retaliatory precision air strikes on Monday in Iraq after a one-way drone attack earlier in the day by Iran-aligned militants that left one US service member in critical condition and wounded two other US personnel, officials said. “These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks. AdvertisementA US base in Iraq’s Erbil that houses US forces came under attack from a one-way drone earlier on Monday, leading to the US casualties. The Pentagon did not disclose details about the identity of the service member who was critically wounded or offer more details on the injuries sustained in the attack. Monday’s military attack and US retaliation is the latest back-and-forth since a surge in violence began in mid-October, when Iran-aligned militias started targeting US assets in Iraq and Syria over Washington’s backing of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Source: Indian Express December 26, 2023 15:13 UTC