‘We will begin attacking’: Kataeb Hezbollah warns US bases following Iraq air raid
Baghdad: A powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group in Iraq vowed Saturday to launch "imminent" retaliatory strikes against U.S. military installations following a deadly air raid on one of its southern bases.
Kataeb Hezbollah, a key faction within Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, issued the threat shortly after airstrikes hit the Jurf al-Sakher military facility, also known as Jurf al-Nasr. The group confirmed that at least two of its fighters were killed and several others wounded in the morning attack.
"We will soon begin attacking American bases in response to their aggression," the group stated in a formal communique.
Escalation in Southern Iraq
The strikes on Jurf al-Sakher, located approximately 30 miles south of Baghdad, occurred as the United States and Israel conducted "Operation Roaring Lion", a broader series of preemptive strikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets.
While the Pentagon has not yet officially claimed responsibility for the Jurf al-Sakher raid, the base has long been a flashpoint, housing Kataeb Hezbollah’s 47th Brigade and drone manufacturing units. Iraqi security officials reported multiple explosions at the site around 11:50 a.m. local time.
Regional Volatility
The threat from Kataeb Hezbollah marks the opening of a second front in the conflict. In addition to the casualties in central Iraq:
- Northern Iraq: Security sources reported separate rocket fire targeting a U.S. military base in the Kurdistan region and explosions near the U.S. Consulate in Erbil.
- Retaliation: The threat coincides with a massive Iranian missile barrage directed at Israel and U.S. assets across the Persian Gulf, including facilities in Bahrain and the UAE.
The Iraqi government’s Security Media Cell confirmed the "martyrdom of two people" at the base but did not specify the origin of the aircraft. Kataeb Hezbollah, which is blacklisted by the U.S. as a terrorist organisation, has previously warned that it would treat all American bases in the region as legitimate targets in the event of a war with Iran.
With inputs from AFP