A U.S. airstrike in Baghdad killed the militia leader of an Iranian-backed group, in a move that Iraqi officials said escalated tensions in the region.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed the strike, saying forces took “appropriate” measures to safeguard American forces.
“It is important to note that the strike was taken in self-defense,” he said. “No civilians were harmed.”
Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a “strong condemnation” of what it called a “blatant attack” on an Iraqi military headquarters.
“The attack on a security formation linked to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and subject to the authority of the state is a dangerous escalation,” the statement reads, “and we affirm that Iraq reserves its right to take a firm stance and all measures that deter anyone who tries to harm its territory and its security forces.”
The U.S. airstrike targeted the leader of Iranian-backed militia group Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN).
The strike hit near a security headquarters in the capital of Baghdad, according to Iraqi officials.
U.S. officials said the strike hit a vehicle in Baghdad, according to media reports.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of militia groups, said the strike killed HHN leader Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, along with at least one other Iraqi official. Five others were wounded.
Yahya Rasoul, a spokesperson for the commander in chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, also condemned the attacks in a statement on Telegram.
“We consider this targeting a dangerous escalation and assault on Iraq, far from the spirit and letter of the mandate and the work for which the international coalition was created in Iraq,” Rasoul said.
The U.S. has been attacked more than 100 times in Iraq and Syria from Iranian-backed groups since late October, shortly after the Israel-Hamas war broke out.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have also attacked commercial ships and U.S. boats in the Red Sea 23 times since November.
The Middle East has been tense this week after an Israeli strike killed a senior Hamas official in Lebanon and a deadly bombing in Iran killed dozens of people, though it’s not clear who was behind the Iran attack.
The Iraqi government is aligned with Iranian-backed militia groups in the country, including the HHN.
Updated at 4:03 p.m.