US strikes Kataib Hezbollah commander in Iraq for attacking US forces

A Kataib Hezbollah commander responsible for attacks on US forces in the region was killed in a US military strike in Baghdad on Wednesday, according to US Central Command.

The strike, carried out by a drone against a vehicle in Baghdad on Wednesday evening local time, resulted in no collateral damage or civilian casualties, as stated by Central Command.

“We will not hesitate to hold responsible all those who threaten our forces’ safety,” Central Command said.

Local police reported that the strike targeted an SUV in Al-Mashtal, a predominantly Shia neighborhood in eastern Baghdad.

The attack followed US plans for retaliatory action against Iran-backed militants who launched a drone attack at a US outpost in Jordan last month, killing three American soldiers. The US attributed the attack to an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, with President Joe Biden authorizing the strike as part of the response.

Kataib Hezbollah had announced the cessation of their attacks and operations against US forces in the region the previous week to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government.

Last week, the US conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, targeting seven locations used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militias in retaliation for the deadly drone attack in Jordan. Officials stated that further action would be taken against militia groups that have been attacking US and coalition forces across the region for months.

According to the Pentagon, as of Tuesday, there have been at least 168 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, resulting in a total of 146 US casualties, including three service members killed in action, two with very serious injuries, nine with serious injuries, and 132 with "non-serious" injuries.