Iran-backed militia vows more attacks on US Embassy in Iraq

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BAGHDAD, Dec 9: The head of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia has pledged further assaults on US interests in Iraq following a mortar attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad. According to a US official, the embassy compound was targeted with multiple mortars on Friday morning, resulting in no reported injuries or infrastructure damage. Subsequently, US and coalition forces experienced three more attacks, including rocket and drone strikes in Syria and Iraq.

Although the commander of the Iraqi Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Abu Alaa al-Walae, did not claim responsibility for the attacks, he declared later that operations would not cease as long as perceived injustices persisted, referencing Zionist actions in Gaza and the American presence in Iraq. Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and its secretary general were designated as specially designated global terrorists by the US Department of State last month.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani pledged to apprehend those responsible for the attack on the US Embassy, emphasizing that targeting diplomatic missions is unjustifiable. The US urged Iraqi Security Forces to promptly investigate and apprehend the attackers, asserting the need to safeguard diplomatic missions and US military personnel.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller stated that Iran-aligned militias in Iraq pose a threat to the region’s security and stability, with Prime Minister Sudani rightly classifying the attacks as acts of terrorism. Miller emphasized the Iraqi government’s commitment to protecting diplomatic missions and US personnel in the country, labeling it non-negotiable.

As of Friday morning, US and coalition forces have encountered 82 attacks in Iraq and Syria since October 17. These assaults, including multiple rocket attacks on Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and Mission Support Site Euphrates in Syria, as well as a one-way drone attack on Al-Asad, have intensified since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. Despite the increased frequency of attacks, the Pentagon maintains that its deterrence efforts are effective in preventing the Israel-Hamas conflict from spreading across the region.

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