A U.S. defense official told Alhurra on Monday that American forces have conducted operations in Iraq concurrently with the military campaign being carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Since the launch of the military operations, sites belonging to Iraqi militias loyal to Tehran have been subjected to airstrikes, although no party has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks.
For their part, the militias claimed responsibility for targeting military bases hosting U.S. forces in Erbil and Baghdad, as well as the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. They also said they had targeted civilian sites, including Baghdad and Erbil airports and oil fields operated by American companies.
The U.S. defense official told Alhurra that American forces have carried out strikes in Iraq since the launch of Operation “Epic Fury” on February 28, “with the aim of protecting their personnel from attacks by Iran-backed armed groups that targeted their bases.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) did not comment on a request sent by Alhurra via email regarding the dates of these strikes or the locations targeted in Iraq.
In the early hours following the outbreak of the war with Iran, several sites belonging to pro-Tehran militias in Iraq were struck. These included Jurf al-Sakhar (central Iraq), Al-Qaim (west), and Mosul (north). Several people were killed and wounded in the attacks.
One of the strikes carried out last Wednesday also resulted in the death of a senior commander in the militia Kataib Hezbollah, identified as Abu Hassan al-Furaiji, when his vehicle was targeted near Jurf al-Sakhar in Babil province.
Iraqi officials also reported that an airborne operation took place in the Najaf desert last week, though the party responsible for it remains unknown.
Some Iraqi officials — including Lt. Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of joint operations, and members of parliament — stated that U.S. forces conducted an airborne landing in the Najaf desert in southern Iraq, and that Baghdad submitted a protest memorandum to the international coalition regarding the operation.
Responding to questions about the issue, U.S. Central Command told Alhurra in an exclusive statement: “We currently have no operational reports that support this claim.”
In recent years, the United States has carried out strikes against militia targets in Iraq, including sites in Jurf al-Sakhar, though these were mostly responses to attacks that had resulted in the deaths of American soldiers.
Since the start of the war, militias have intensified their attacks particularly on sites in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, targeting energy facilities as well as the U.S. base in the city of Erbil, where most of the remaining American troops in the country are stationed.
In a statement on Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned that “Iran and its allied militias continue to pose a significant threat to public safety.”
The embassy said calls had been made to target American citizens and interests in Iraq, noting that locations frequented by foreigners and critical infrastructure sites have already been attacked in recent days.
The diplomatic mission urged Americans to leave Iraq “as soon as possible when it is safe to do so,” or to prepare to remain for extended periods in secure locations if departure is not possible.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Ghassan Taqi
A journalist specializing in Iraqi affairs, he has worked with the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) since 2015. He previously spent several years with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well as various Iraqi and Arab media outlets.
