Biden takes first military action on Iran-backed militias in Syria

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(FILES) In this file US Navy handout image taken on October 4, 2014 two US Navy F-18E Super Hornets supporting operations against IS, are pictured after being refueled by a KC-135 Statotanker over Iraq after conducting an airstrike. - At least 17 pro-Iran fighters were killed in US strikes in Syria at the Iraq border overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on February 26, 2021. "The strikes destroyed three lorries carrying munitions... There were many casualties. Preliminary indications are that at least 17 fighters were killed, all members of Popular Mobilisation Forces," the director of the SOHR, Rami Abdul Rahman, told AFP, referencing the powerful coalition of pro-Iran Iraqi paramilitaries. (Photo by - / US AIR FORCE / AFP)

Dailynewsun Desk:

The US military has carried out an air strike targeting Iran-backed militias in Syria, in the first military action undertaken by the Biden administration.

The Pentagon said the strike was ordered in response to attacks against US and coalition personnel in Iraq, reports BBC.

The US action destroyed “multiple facilities” used by Iraqi militant groups, it said. Militia officials said one person had been killed but a war monitor reported at least 22 fatalities.

The Pentagon said its strike near the Iraqi border in eastern Syria was a “proportionate military response” that was taken “together with diplomatic measures”, including consulting coalition partners.

It came after a civilian contractor was killed in a rocket attack on US targets earlier this month. A US service member and five other contractors were also injured when the rockets hit sites in Irbil, including a base used by the US-led coalition.

Rockets have also struck US bases in Baghdad, including the Green Zone, which houses the US embassy and other diplomatic missions.

There are about 2,500 US troops in Iraq to assist Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group.

Analysis by Paul Adams of BBC News:
The messaging around this strike is probably more important than the strike itself.
Ten days elapsed between the trigger – 15 February’s rocket attack in Irbil – and retaliation.

The US defence secretary made a point of thanking the Iraqi government for its intelligence input.

The Pentagon said the air strikes had been conducted “together with diplomatic measures”, including consultation with coalition partners.

Nor did the attacks take place on Iraqi soil, thus minimising any embarrassment for the government in Baghdad.

In short, Washington seems to be drawing a sharp distinction with the more intemperate, unilateral instincts of the previous administration.

But at a time when the Biden administration is exploring ways of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the strikes also sends a message to Tehran: just because we’re willing to sit down and talk doesn’t mean your proxies around the region can do what they want.

What do we know about the air strike?
The Pentagon said the strike on Friday was launched “at President Biden’s direction”.

It targeted facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iran-backed militia groups, including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, who are allied with the Damascus government.

Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada have previously carried out or supported rocket attacks targeting US assets in the country. The US has launched retaliatory strikes.

But Kataib Hezbollah has denied involvement in recent attacks against US interests.

In its statement, the Pentagon said its latest operation “sends an unambiguous message”.

“President Biden will act to protect American and Coalition personnel. At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq,” it said.

The US did not confirm any casualties, but an Iraqi militia official told the Associated Press news agency at least one fighter was killed and a number of others wounded.

The official said the strikes hit an area along the border between the Syrian city of Boukamal and the Iraqi town of Qaim.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the US attack had killed at least 22 fighters from the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an Iraqi umbrella group of mostly Shia paramilitaries that includes Kataib Hezbollah.

“The strikes destroyed three lorries carrying munitions,” the observatory’s Rami Abdul Rahman earlier told AFP. “There were many casualties.”

Several attacks targeting US personnel have been claimed by little-known groups. But some Iraqi and Western officials say these are a front for established militias, so they can carry out attacks without being held accountable.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters he was “confident in the target that we went after”.