President Biden ordered airstrikes on three locations in Iraq on Christmas night following an attack by Iranian-backed militia groups on Erbil Air Base that wounded three U.S. service members.
In a statement, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the president ordered the strikes on facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, who have claimed credit for the attack.
The statement said the three locations were “focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities.”
“The President places no higher priority than the protection of American personnel serving in harm’s way. The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue,” the statement said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the strikes were “necessary and proportionate,” and that “while we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities.”
The attacks come amid the ongoing fighting in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which has stoked tensions in the region. The Biden administration has firmly backed Israel in the war, but Iran-backed militia groups across the region have upped their military actions in response to the continuous attacks on Gaza.
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