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Amid escalating tensions in the region during the Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States conducted a major airstrike, eliminating an Iran-backed militia leader in Baghdad. The airstrike targeted the militia headquarters in Baghdad, resulting in the killing of the militia leader and the deputy chief of operations, Abu Takwa.
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| Image Source : AP |
During the Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States has dealt a significant blow to the Iran-backed coalition. The U.S. conducted an airstrike on the militia headquarters in Baghdad, resulting in the death of a militia leader and the deputy chief of operations, Abu Takwa.
The airstrike, carried out on Thursday, targeted the main headquarters of the Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad. This strike comes amidst concerns about the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on the region and pressure on the U.S.-led coalition forces to leave Iraq, as indicated by Iraqi officials.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an alliance of militias under the control of the Iraqi military, issued a statement declaring that Abu Takwa, the deputy chief of operations in charge of its management, was "killed in the American airstrike." An unnamed U.S. defense official, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the airstrike on Thursday, stating that Abu Takwa was targeted because of his active involvement in attacks on American personnel. Abu Takwa was identified as the leader of the Harakat al-Nujaba group, operating within the PMF. The U.S. designated PMF as a terrorist organization in 2019.
Following the strike, Iraq responded by blaming the U.S.-led coalition forces for an "unjustified attack" on an Iraqi security organization working under the supervision of the Iraqi army. The spokesman for the Iraqi military, Yehia Rasool, accused the international coalition led by the U.S. of being responsible for an "unjustified aggression on an Iraqi security institution working under the umbrella of Iraqi forces."
The primary mission of the U.S.-led coalition is to combat Sunni extremist terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State (IS), which continues to carry out attacks in Iraq despite losing control of its territorial holdings in 2017. The Iran-backed PMF is primarily composed of Shia militias and played a crucial role in the fight against IS in 2014 after seizing control of most parts of Iraq. While officially under the command of the Iraqi military, the PMF operates pragmatically as an independent militia. Two militia officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, reported that two people were killed and five injured in Thursday's airstrike.