By Luis de Jesus
The pro-Iran militia attacked a military base housing US personnel in western Iraq this Sunday amid an unexpected visit to Baghdad by Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State.
The Islamic Resistance, which brings together terrorist groups supported by the Iranian regime, indicated in a statement cited by Efe that it attacked the Ain al Asad area with four mortar shells that reached their target.
Subsequently, the resistance added, the fighters withdrew from the site “safely.”
The news agency noted that it is currently unknown whether the attack caused damage or loss of life. That base, he highlighted, is one of the most important in Iraq and has frequently been a target of the Islamic Resistance.
The militants also claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a US base in northeastern Syria on Sunday afternoon. The NGO Human Rights Site Observatory, indicated Efe, said that there was an explosion at the facility, but did not clarify if there were victims.
“They are totally unacceptable”
The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, denounced the recurring attacks by pro-Iran militias against bases with a US presence in Iraq and Syria. He described these events as unacceptable and warned that the government of Democrat Joe Biden will take any necessary steps to protect his personnel in the Middle East.
“The attacks and threats by militias aligned with Iran are totally unacceptable, and we will take any steps necessary to protect our people,” said the head of US diplomacy.
The statements were made at a press conference from Baghdad, after a meeting with Iraqi Minister Mohamed Shia al Sudani. There, he expressed that the priority is to guarantee the safety of United States personnel in Iraq and Syria.
In Iraq, I met with Prime Minister @MohamedShia to emphasize that we must prevent the conflict from spreading. I urged him to hold accountable those responsible for attacks on US personnel in Iraq and discussed our work to deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/HthTWR1m5o
—Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 5, 2023
The bases in these countries have suffered approximately twenty attacks since last October 17, which have left at least 21 injured.
“It is very important to send a very clear message to anyone who wants to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel here or anywhere else in the region: do not do it,” he warned.
He clarified that the United States is not seeking a conflict with Iran, but that it will do what is necessary if its troops are attacked.
Antony Blinken landed unexpectedly in Baghdad this Sunday in the context of a tour of the Middle East to discuss the evolution of the armed conflict between Israel against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
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