In a Christmas Day attack by Kataib Hezbollah terrorists in Iraq, three American military personnel were injured, with one U.S. service member critically wounded, according to a statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
The U.S. military swiftly retaliated against the attackers under President Biden's direction.
Three U.S. service members injured in Kataib Hezbollah terrorist attack, Biden launches strikes https://t.co/JNvZYljhtd #FoxNews “Today, at President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah
— daniel f grande (@me7328) December 26, 2023
No doubt the news of the U.S. Military destroying terrorists has radical Democrats like 'The Squad,' who openly support terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, fuming.
Austin clarified, "Today, at President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq."
These precision strikes were in response to a series of attacks on U.S. personnel by Iranian-sponsored militias, including an assault by Iran-affiliated Kataib Hezbollah on Erbil Air Base on the same day.
The statement noted the injuries to U.S. personnel and the critical condition of one service member.
Austin expressed solidarity, saying, "My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured." He emphasized the commitment of both himself and President Biden to taking action to protect American troops, stating, "There is no higher priority."
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces conducted airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah facilities in Iraq in retaliation for the earlier attacks.
The press release from CENTCOM highlighted that the U.S. airstrikes aimed to destroy the targeted facilities and likely resulted in casualties among Kataib Hezbollah militants.
CENTCOM General Michael Erik Kurilla stressed the intention behind the airstrikes.
"These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks," he stated.
He affirmed the commitment to protecting U.S. forces while evaluating the effectiveness of the strikes, noting, "We will always protect our forces."
According to Reuters, three security sources have verified the death of Sayyed Razi Mousavi, responsible for coordinating a military alliance between Iran and Syria.
State television broke into its regular programming to announce Mousavi's death, depicting him as one of the longest-serving advisors for the Guard in Syria. The announcement highlighted Mousavi's association with Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Guards' elite Quds Force, who succumbed to a U.S. drone attack in Iraq in 2020.
The attacks and responses continue in the weeks following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 with the military now on heightened alert.
