MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : Iraq Condemns US Airstrike on Shia Militia Facilities

Basnews English 2021/06/28 – 13:49 Iraq ERBIL — The Iraqi military has condemned the airstrikes by the United States which hit several facilities belonging to the Iran-backed Shia militias.

“We condemn the US airstrike that targeted a site on the Iraqi-Syrian border last night, which represents a blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and Iraqi national security in accordance with all international conventions,” said Yehia Rasool, the spokesperson for the Iraqi commander-in-chief.

He noted that Baghdad refuses any moves which could turn Iraq into an arena for settling disputes of others.

“We call for calm and avoiding escalation in all its forms, stressing that Iraq will carry out the necessary investigations, procedures and contacts at various levels to prevent such violations,” he added.

Pentagon said earlier that the US military had conducted airstrikes on three targets in Syria and Iraq used by the Shia militias as operation centers or weapons depots.

“At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region. The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

“Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, the President directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks. We are in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq for the sole purpose of assisting the Iraqi Security Forces in their efforts to defeat ISIS,” he added.