BAGHDAD: The Iraqi armed group Nujaba has declared its intention to continue attacks on US forces in the region until Israeli attacks on Gaza end and the United States troops withdraw from Iraq. This announcement comes just days after another Iraqi group, Hezbollah, declared a temporary suspension of attacks on US forces.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah decided to pause its attacks on US forces following the drone attack in Jordan near the Syrian border that resulted in the death of three US soldiers. Washington attributed the attack to Hezbollah and has vowed to retaliate.
However, Nujaba’s leader, Akram Al-Kaabi, stated in a released statement that while he understands the reasons behind Hezbollah’s decision, Nujaba and other groups in Iraq would continue their operations. The group has claimed responsibility for over 150 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the commencement of the Gaza war on October 7.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi maintained on Friday that Iran has no intention of starting a war but would respond strongly to any attempts to intimidate the country.
US Finalizes Plan to Strike Targets in Iraq
The US has approved plans for a series of strikes on targets in Syria and Iraq, officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS News. The strikes will take place over several days, officials said, and weather conditions are likely to dictate when they start, BBC News reported.
This comes after a drone strike killed three US soldiers in Jordan near the Syrian border on Sunday. All three were part of an Army Reserve unit based at Fort Moore in Georgia.
At a press conference on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the US “will not tolerate attacks on American troops”.
“We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our interests, and our people,” he said. “We will respond where we choose, when we choose, and how we choose.”
Officials who spoke to CBS News did not give an exact timeline for the potential strikes. They said the US military could detonate them in bad weather but preferred better visibility to reduce the risk of accidentally hitting civilians.
