U.S. strikes Hezbollah targets in Iraq responding to drone attack on American base
U.S. retaliates against Hezbollah for drone attack on Iraqi base (Getty Images)
The United States Army has attacked the targets of the Kataib Hezbollah group. The attack was a response to a drone strike on a U.S. base in Iraq, according to White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
On the morning of December 25, in northern Iraq, U.S. military personnel were attacked by a one-way drone. As a result of the attack, three soldiers were wounded, one of them is in serious condition.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Kataib Hezbollah militia and related groups operating under the auspices of Iranian-backed militants.
In response, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the Department of Defense to prepare options for a response.
"Those options were then presented to the President during a call this afternoon with Secretary of Defense Austin and members of the President’s national security team. During that call, the President directed strikes against three locations utilized by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities," the White House says.
Israeli attacks on Hezbollah targets
Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants regularly fire rockets at Israeli outposts and forces on the border.
On Wednesday, December 20, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fighter jets attacked Hezbollah's operational command center in Lebanon.
Earlier, Israeli air defense forces intercepted one of the planes that entered the country from Lebanon. The other two crashed.
Israel may launch a ground war against Hezbollah to push them back 20 kilometers from its borders.
