US Launches Retaliatory Strikes Against Militias in Iraq
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden ordered retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on Tuesday after a drone attack on Erbil Air Base wounded 3 U.S. service members.
The Details: The airstrikes targeted “three locations utilized by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups” and “focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities.” However, the Iraqi government said the strikes killed one of its service members and wounded 18 others. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office called the U.S. strikes “hostile acts” that violated Iraq’s sovereignty.
For Context: The U.S. designated Kataib Hezbollah, a Shia militant group, a terrorist organization in 2009. A senior Kataib Hezbollah official quoted by The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) said the group’s initial attacks were carried out because it opposed America’s support for Israel and continued troop presence in Iraq. Other militant groups, like the Houthis, have also launched rocket and drone attacks against Western forces in the region since the war in Gaza began.
How the Media Covered It: Some headlines in right-rated outlets simply noted “Hezbollah” attacks, potentially conflating the Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah with the Hezbollah that acts as a political party and militant group in Lebanon. While most coverage was fairly similar, The Washington Post stood out by prominently noting growing “anger in the Middle East” over Gaza’s 20,000-person death toll. Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) stood out by saying Kataib Hezbollah’s attacks were merely “blamed on” them.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
U.S. strikes Iran-backed militias in Iraq after troops wounded in drone attack![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-leaning-left.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20115141.png?itok=hLSLh4sh)
U.S. military forces on Monday carried out precision strikes against Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq, including Kataib Hezbollah, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. The strikes followed a drone attack by the groups on Irbil air base earlier in the day that injured three service members. One is in critical condition, he said.
U.S. strikes targeted three locations used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups for aerial drone activities, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
President Biden was immediately briefed on the attack on U.S. personnel,...
From the Center
US Strikes Iran-Backed Militia After Iraq Air Base Attack![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-center.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/01000000-0aff-0242-ba20-08dc05c6bd91_w1023_r1_s.jpg?itok=HDsUNvH-)
U.S. forces carried out strikes Monday targeting Iran-backed militias in Iraq in response to a drone attack that injured three U.S. service members.
The U.S. strikes were directed at three locations used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
“These precision strikes are a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias, including an attack by Iran-affiliated Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups on Erbil Air Base earlier today, and intended to disrupt and degrade capabilities...
From the Right
U.S. Launches Air Strikes in Iraq in Response to Hezbollah Attack on Military Base![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Right AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Right](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-leaning-right.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/iraq.jpg?itok=9-ua8gTu)
President Joe Biden ordered retaliatory air strikes on three sites in Iraq on Monday after Iran-backed terrorists launched a drone attack on a U.S. military base, wounding three American service members, including one who is in critical condition.
U.S. officials say that Kataib Hezbollah terrorists in Iraq attacked the Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq early on Monday. The base has been targeted several times, according to media reports.
“Today’s attack led to three injuries to U.S. personnel, leaving one service member in critical condition. My prayers are with the...
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