- Three US troops were injured – one seriously – in the early hours of Christmas Day by a suicide drone launched at their base in Erbil, northern Iraq
- President Joe Biden, who is spending the Christmas holidays at Camp David, was informed of the attack on Christmas Day and authorized retaliation
- The US launched airstrikes at 1:45pm GMT, likely killing “a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants” and destroying several facilities used by the group.
Joe Biden authorized airstrikes in Iraq on Christmas Day against militants behind a suicide drone strike earlier in the day that injured three U.S. service members — one of them seriously.
Biden, who is spending Christmas at Camp David, was briefed on the attack that wounded the American trio at a base near Erbil airport.
The president then made the decision to retaliate, and the US military carried out the attacks at 1:45 pm GMT, likely killing “a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants” and destroying several facilities used by the group.
Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, said the airstrikes were in direct retaliation.
Joe Biden is seen on December 23, shortly before boarding Marine One to fly to Camp David for the Christmas holidays
“These attacks are intended to hold accountable the elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and reduce their ability to continue the attacks,” he said.
“We will always protect our armed forces.”
The Pentagon has not released any details about the identity of the military wounded soldier or provided any details about the injuries he suffered during the attack.
Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense, said: “My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured.”
The White House National Security Council said Biden was briefed on the attack Monday morning and ordered the Pentagon to prepare response options against those responsible.
“The President places no higher priority than protecting American personnel in harm's way. The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue,” said NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
Footage shared with Kurdish TV by a journalist reportedly showed the moment of impact
The Erbil base used by the US forces. Washington has deployed about 2,500 troops to Iraq
Monday's military strike and U.S. retaliation are the latest back-and-forth since a wave of violence began in mid-October, when Iran-linked militias began targeting U.S. assets in Iraq and Syria over Washington's support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. .
Since October 17, there have been 103 attacks on its forces in Iraq and Syria.
The majority of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which opposes US support for Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In early December, the US embassy in Baghdad was targeted by rocket fire. That attack, the first of its kind since the start of the war in Gaza, was not claimed by any group.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced several arrests and said some were linked to the security services.
Washington has deployed about 2,500 troops to Iraq and about 900 to Syria.
The international coalition has been fighting Islamic State since 2014.