An response to attacks against U.S. troops, the United States has attacked positions held by pro-Iranian fighters in Iraq. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that “necessary and proportionate” attacks were carried out on three facilities. The positions were used by the Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq. Iraqi security circles and the pro-Iranian Hashed al-Shaabi network said at least two people had been killed.

US Defense Secretary Austin said it was a “direct response” to a series of attacks on US and allied personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias, with a view to the US-led international military coalition against the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS).

USA: Don't want escalation

The United States did not want an escalation of the conflict in the region, but the United States was prepared to “take further action to protect our people and our facilities,” Austin said. The US regional command Central Command (Centcom) said the attacks targeted Kataeb Hezbollah headquarters, warehouses and training facilities for rockets, missiles and attack drones.

Since the war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas began on October 7th, attacks on bases used by the US army in Iraq and Syria have increased significantly. The Pentagon says it has counted more than 150 attacks since mid-October. In response, the US repeatedly attacked positions of pro-Iranian groups in Syria and Iraq.

There are around 2,500 US soldiers stationed in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria. The US-led international military coalition in these countries was founded in 2014 to push back IS.