The US military launched strikes in Iraq on Monday against facilities of pro-Iranian armed movements, including positions of Kataeb Hezbollah (“Party of God Brigades”), in retaliation for an earlier drone strike that injured “three US servicemen”. , one of whom is in “critical” condition, a Pentagon press release said.

It is not specified in the press release if there were any casualties in the American strikes.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasized in the announcement, among other things, that he is “praying” for the three “brave Americans who were injured” in the attack.

Amid concerns of a regional flare-up over the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, more than 100 rocket or drone attacks have been launched against US and international anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraqi and Syrian territory since mid-October.

The responsibility for most of them was claimed by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq”, a nebula that is considered to represent pro-Iranian armed groups, components of the Hasd al-Shaabi (“Popular Mobilization Units”), an alliance officially integrated into the Iraqi regular forces. Kataeb Hezbollah is also part of Hasd.

The US Pentagon has launched strikes against pro-Iranian militant groups in Iraq, as well as facilities it says were linked to Iran in Syria, in retaliation for attacks on its forces since October 17.

Washington maintains around 900 troops deployed in Syria and another nearly 2,500 in Iraq as part of the operation against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group by an international coalition formed in 2014.