The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out targeted airstrikes against facilities used by the Kata’ib Hezbollah group in Iraq. The attacks, conducted at 8:45 PM local time on December 25, were a direct response to multiple assaults by Iran-backed fighters against coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. response was not sudden but followed a serious attack by the group in Erbil, Iraq, resulting in several casualties among coalition forces. According to CENTCOM’s announcement, the swift U.S. response aimed to neutralize the escalating threat posed by these militant groups.
General Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander of the U.S. Central Command, stated: “These strikes aim to hold those elements directly responsible for attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Syria accountable and to degrade their ability to continue these attacks. We will always protect our forces.”
CENTCOM’s announcement indicates that initial assessments of the airstrikes’ outcomes suggest they were successful in destroying the targeted facilities, likely eliminating some Kata’ib Hezbollah fighters. Preliminary investigations report that there were no civilian casualties as a result of these military actions.
