US airstrikes targets over 85 locations in Iraq and Syria; 18 militants killed | IN POINTS

PTC News Desk: In response to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the United States has initiated airstrikes targeting militia positions in both Iraq and Syria. 

This marks the beginning of what appears to be a series of more substantial strikes against Iranian-backed militias, who have been implicated in attacks on US troops in the region. 

The airstrikes follow a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on a US military outpost in Jordan on Sunday, resulting in the tragic deaths of three US service members and the injuries of over 40 others. The attack reportedly killed 18 militants in Syria.

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US TARGETS IRAN-BACKED GROUPS – IN POINTS 

• Following strikes in Iraq and Syria, US President Joe Biden released a statement saying that the US does not seek a conflict in the Middle East but if any American is harmed, the country will respond. "The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond," the US President said.

Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces.

We do not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world.

But to all those who seek to do us harm: We will respond. — President Biden (@POTUS) February 2, 2024

• US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Friday involved the participation of Air Force B-1 bombers. The B-1 is a long-range heavy bomber having the ability to deploy precision and non-precision weapons.
• The US military has targeted Iranian proxies' weapons depots in Iraq and Syria since October, attempting to deter the militants. However, these strikes have not dissuaded the militias, and Sunday's attack marked a significant escalation, prompting the forceful response from the Biden administration.
• Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin indicated a multi-tiered response, saying, "We have the ability to respond a number of times, depending on what the situation is." The administration acknowledges the capabilities of Iranian-backed militias but asserts superior strength in its ability to respond effectively." 
• Attributing the drone attack in Jordan to an umbrella group called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the White House believes the attack was meticulously planned and facilitated by multiple groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah. 

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•  After the US airstrikes targeting militia positions in both Iraq and Syria, the spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces said these strikes come at a time when Iraq is “striving to ensure stability in the region," media sources reported. 
• Last week, The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition encompassing militias like Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, asserted accountability for a drone strike. The attack resulted in the death of three US military personnel and left numerous others injured at a base in northeast Jordan, situated close to the Syrian border.
• The airstrikes by US in Iraq and Syria follow a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on a US military outpost in Jordan on Sunday, resulting in the tragic deaths of three US service members and the injury of over 40 others. 

(With inputs from agencies)                

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