US Strikes on Iraqi Bases Denounced

EghtesadOnline: Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly denounced the United States' recent strikes on Iraqi militia forces, describing it as a clear example of terrorism.

News ID: ۷۴۹۳۵۰

01 January 2020

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi urged the US to respect Iraq's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stop its interference in the Arab country's domestic affairs, ISNA reported.

"With these attacks, the US showed its solid support for terrorism and ignorance of countries' independence and sovereignty, so it must accept the consequences of this illegal measure," Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.

The US military carried out the strikes on Sunday against the Iran-allied Kataib Hezbollah militia group, which it accused of carrying out a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base.

The strike killed a US civilian contractor and injured four American service members and two members of the Iraqi Security Forces near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iranian-allied forces for a series of attacks on bases in Iraq warning that any strike that harmed Americans or allies would be "answered with a decisive US response".

"In response to repeated Kataib Hezbollah attacks on Iraqi bases that host Operation Inherent Resolve coalition forces, US forces have conducted precision defensive strikes ... that will degrade KH's ability to conduct future attacks against OIR coalition forces," chief Pentagon spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman, contended in a statement.

OIR is the US military's intervention campaign against the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

False Claim

Mousavi said the attack once again proved that America's claim about fighting the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group is false.

"The US has targeted the locations of forces that have delivered heavy blows to Daesh [IS] terrorists over past years," he said.

He added that the presence of foreign forces in the region is a cause of insecurity, tension and crisis, stressing that the US must end its presence as an occupier.

Expressing Iran's support for Iraq's independence, territorial integrity and national sovereignty, Mousavi also offered sympathy to the families of martyrs and those injured in the US attack.

Iraqi security and militia sources said at least 25 militia fighters were killed and at least 55 wounded in three US airstrikes, Reuters reported.

At least four local Kataib Hezbollah commanders were among the dead, according to the sources.

Lebanon's Hezbollah also condemned the US airstrikes on Monday, calling them a blatant attack on Iraqi sovereignty, security and stability.

In a statement, the group denounced the United States for attacking groups in Iraq that have helped it defeat IS.