US drone strike: The Pentagon reported that a US attack in Baghdad on Thursday killed a military commander who supported Iran; ex-paramilitaries Al-Hashed al-Shaabi claimed the strike struck one of their headquarters.

Two individuals were reportedly killed and seven injured in the drone strike, which the government called a “blatant aggression,” according to an Iraqi security official.

Major General Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, however, said that the strike was a self-defense measure against a commander who was actively plotting assaults against US personnel.

“It is important to note that the strike was taken in self-defense, that no civilians were harmed, and that no infrastructure or facilities were struck,” Ryder said to reporters in Washington.

A leader of Harakat al-Nujaba was “actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel,” according to Ryder, who also claimed that another member of the group was killed in the hit.

As tensions in the region grew due to the Israel-Hamas conflict raging in the Gaza Strip, the incident and its toll were confirmed by a Hashed source who wished to remain anonymous.

Mostly pro-Iranian former paramilitary groups that fought Sunni Muslim militants, the Hashed al-Shaabi have since been incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces.

One of the factions of the Hashed, Harakat al-Nujaba, said that “Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi, the deputy commander of operations for Baghdad,” had been “martyred in a US strike.”

Videos posted on a Hashed-affiliated Telegram channel showed columns of smoke rising over the striking location on Palestine Street in Baghdad, which is typically a busy business street.

According to an AFP photographer, Hashed troops roped off the area and prevented media from visiting. The incident followed a string of assaults on US personnel since the beginning of the Gaza conflict in both adjacent Syria and Iraq. Since mid-October, more than 100, according to Washington, have occurred.

A large number have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of armed groups with ties to Iran that oppose US backing for Israel in the Gaza conflict.

As part of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group since 2014, the United States maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.

The US military has launched airstrikes against locations used by Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq and Syria, including Hashed bases, in retaliation for the recent attacks.

According to his office, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned Thursday’s strike as “a dangerous escalation and assault”.

A Sudani spokeswoman issued a statement saying, “The Iraqi armed forces hold the global coalition forces responsible for this unwarranted attack.”

In December, provincial council elections were held in most of the country’s provinces, and pro-Iranian parties emerged victorious, holding the majority of council seats in the parliament.

While denouncing some of the attacks on US targets, the Baghdad administration has also attacked Washington for intervening on its behalf.

Iraq is “an important and valued partner,” according to a Pentagon official, and “our forces are there at the government of Iraq’s invitation to help train and advise” as part of the fight against IS.

“As we have been doing all along, we will continue to consult closely with the Iraqi government about the safety and security of US forces,” stated Ryder.

SOURCE: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/amid-tensions-us-strike-kills-pro-iran-commander-in-iraq-4802030