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On June 27th, the U.S. military carried out air strikes against Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in the Iraq-Syria border area.
The attacks took place under US President Joe Biden’s order and in retaliation for drone attacks by the groups against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq.
PMU sources reported that four PMU members were killed as a result of the strikes.
The victims were members of the PMU 14th Brigade, who were killed as a result of the bombardment by the US forces on points belonging to the Anbar Operations Command.
A video was released showing the strikes, carried out by a F-15E fighter jet. As well as a video of the aftermath.
The Pentagon said on June 27 that President Joe Biden ordered the air strikes on operational and weapons storage facilities used by the PMU at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq.
It said that the facilities were used by several Iran-backed groups, including Kata’ib Hizballah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
“As demonstrated by this evening’s strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel,” the Pentagon said.
“Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, the president directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks.”
At President Biden's direction, US military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region. Our full statement here. https://t.co/6tRkh6zsLU
— John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) June 28, 2021
According to reports from pro-Iranian media, a child was killed and three other civilians have been wounded in airstrikes the US conducted against three targets allegedly belonging to Iraqi resistance groups along Iraq and Syria’s common border, reports said.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby announced the attacks in a statement on Sunday, saying the “precision airstrikes” had hit two locations in Syria and another in Iraq near the border.
He said the attacks had taken place “at President Biden’s direction,” alleging that they hit “facilities” used by “multiple” groups.
The spokesman specified two of the groups as “Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.”
The targets had been selected because the alleged facilities were used by groups “that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq,” he said.
Syria’s al-Ikhbariyah news channel, meanwhile, reported that aerial offensive had targeted the town of al-Bukamal in the eastern province of Deir Ez-Zur. The channel said “massive explosions” had shaken the areas that lie along the common border.
Photos showing smoke rising shortly after US airstrikes in the vicinity of Iraq-Syria border crossing. pic.twitter.com/7OBR5ybD3r
— Status-6 (@Archer83Able) June 27, 2021
The air strikes came after Iraqi Kurdish officials said on June 26 that four explosive-laden drones hit locations outside the semi-autonomous region’s capital, Erbil. No casualties were reported.
The same day, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashed al-Shaabi, a paramilitary alliance opposed to the U.S. presence in Iraq, held a military parade near Baghdad attended by senior officials, including Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
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