US Airstrikes on Hashd Shaabi Forces Escalation: Iraq

On Wednesday, the Iraqi government said that U.S. airstrikes on positions of the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces are "irresponsible escalation" in the Middle East region.

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The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Yahya Rasoul said the airstrikes in the provinces of Anbar and Babil are "unacceptable act that violates Iraq's sovereignty and leads to an irresponsible escalation.

He stressed that this happened at a time when the Middle East region is witnessing "the danger of expanding the conflict in Gaza."

"We find such actions obstructive to the path and harmful to all agreements of security cooperation," he stated, recalling that Iraq is achieving a positive understanding regarding the role and tasks of the members of the U.S.-led international coalition.

Iraq urged the international community to assume its responsibility in supporting peace and security and preventing all violations that threaten the stability and sovereignty of Iraq.

Earlier in the day, the Hashd Shaabi said that one of its fighters was killed and two others were wounded by U.S. airstrikes after midnight near the Iraqi-Syrian border and Baghdad.

The U.S. Central Command acknowledged that airstrikes were conducted at 00:15 a.m. Wednesday local time against three facilities used by Hezbollah, a Shiite military group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq.

The airstrikes were in response to attacks on U.S. military sites, including the attack on the Ayn al-Asad Airbase in Anbar. On Jan. 20, about 20 rockets were launched toward this airbase. Most of the rockets were shot down except one that landed on an empty area inside the base.