Iraqi PM condemns US air strikes against PMF sites in Iraq
Ain Al-Assad military base in Iraq. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, condemned on Wednesday the attack that targeted the Jurf Al-Nasr area southwest of the capital, Baghdad.
The spokesperson of the Iraqi government, Basem Al-Awadi, mentioned in a statement that the Iraqi government considers the recent escalation a dangerous step involving an unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
“We strongly condemn the attack that targeted the Jurf Al-Nasr area, which took place without the knowledge of the Iraqi government,” Al-Awadi explained.
The government spokesperson indicated that the Iraqi government is the only party responsible for holding violators accountable, adding that no foreign party has the right to perform this role on its behalf, according to the Iraqi constitution and international law.
Five people were killed on Wednesday morning after sites belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Jurf Al-Nasr in Babylon governorate were targeted by air strikes carried out by US forces.
US Central Command forces carried out separate and precise strikes on two facilities in Iraq, according to a statement released by the US Army.
The US Army added that the strikes were a direct response to attacks on American and coalition forces by Iran and groups supported by Tehran.
On Tuesday, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) confirmed that a US strike in Iraq was carried out in response to an attack targeting American military personnel in the region, resulting in the killing of many fighters of pro-Iranian militias.
The Pentagon revealed that US forces were subjected to dozens of attacks using drones and missiles in Iraq and Syria over the past few weeks, in response to Washington’s support for Israel in its war on Gaza.
About 2,500 American soldiers are deployed in Iraq, providing advisory missions to their Iraqi counterparts as part of the fight against ISIS, while about 900 American soldiers are deployed in Syria.