An American air strike in Iraq on Wednesday killed a senior commander from a pro-Iran armed group. The US military said the strike targeted the commander “in response to the attacks on US service members.” A member of Kataeb Hezbollah confirmed that a commander who was responsible for the “military file” in Syria had been killed, identifying him as Abu Baqr al-Saadi.
A total of three people — two Kataeb Hezbollah leaders and their driver — died in the strike, which was carried out by a drone in the east Baghdad neighborhood of Machtal. The US and allied troops have been attacked more than 165 times in the Middle East since mid-October in a campaign waged by Iran-backed armed groups angered by US support for Israel.
The United States considers Kataeb Hezbollah — which Washington says may have been involved in the Jordan attack — a terrorist group. The Hashed al-Shaabi has said that 16 of its fighters were killed and 36 people wounded in the US strikes on Friday, which Washington said hit 85 targets at seven different sites in Iraq and Syria.
“The United States will continue to take necessary action to protect our people. We will not hesitate to hold responsible all those who threaten our forces’ safety,” it added. The strike killed “a Kataeb Hezbollah commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on US forces in the region,” according to CENTCOM, which said there are “no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties at this time.”
