US troops thwart drone attack in Iraq with precision airstrike
10:39 AM EDT, July 31, 2024
To thwart an attack being prepared by militants using kamikaze drones, the United States Armed Forces stationed in Iraq conducted an airstrike south of Baghdad on Tuesday, according to a Pentagon representative in a conversation with journalists from ABC News.
- US forces in Iraq conducted a defensive airstrike in Musayib, in Babil province. This attack was aimed at militants who were planning to launch kamikaze drones - explained a representative of the American Department of Defense in a conversation with ABC News.
The airstrike was a response to the threat
He added that the US Central Command, based on recent attacks in Iraq and Syria, assessed that it posed a threat to US and coalition forces in Iraq. "We retain the inalienable right to self-defense and will not hesitate to take appropriate actions," he emphasized.
Tuesday's airstrike conducted by US forces was the first such action in Iraq since February. At that time, Abu Bakir al-Saadi, the leader of the pro-Iran militia Kataib Hezbollah, was killed. According to information provided by the US, this militia was responsible for nearly 170 attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria, carried out using rockets and drones.
USA on guard
Currently, 2,500 American soldiers are stationed in Iraq, and an additional 900 serve in Syria. Their task is to support local security forces in preventing the resurgence of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). Since the beginning of this year, the US and Iraq have been in talks about changes in the future presence of American troops in the country.
Earlier that same day, Iraqi authorities reported a series of explosions south of Baghdad. They took place in areas controlled by the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) - armed groups supported by Iran, which fall under the defense ministry in Baghdad.
