As of: February 2, 2024, 4:51 a.m
By: Erkan Pehlivan
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Pro-Iranian militias repeatedly attack American soldiers in Iraq and Syria.
Behind this is the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq”.
Baghdad – Pro-Iranian militias are increasingly attacking American soldiers in the Middle East.
Most recently there was a deadly attack on US military personnel in Jordan on Sunday (January 28th).
Three American soldiers were killed and others injured by a drone.
“We believe the attack was planned, financed and carried out by an umbrella organization called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said in Washington on Wednesday (Jan. 31).
This is an umbrella organization that also includes the pro-Iranian militia “Kataib Hezbollah,” which translates as “Brigades of the Party of God.”
Islamic Resistance in Iraq – What you need to know
Since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel and the ongoing Gaza war, Muqawama militias, "resistance groups," have attacked the U.S. military in Iraq and Syria.
Membership of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq is kept vague in order to avoid responsibility if necessary.
“Nevertheless, leaders of individual armed groups have made public statements clearly linking attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq to Washington's support for Israel and its military operations in the Gaza Strip,” the Atlantic Council wrote in a report.
These groups, which usually operate under the name “Islamic Resistance,” have so far expressed themselves primarily in Telegram channels and are wary of disclosing information about possible connections to other existing armed groups in Iraq.
Islamic Resistance militias are often part of the Iraqi army
These militias are often part of the Iraqi armed forces and are under the control of the Iraqi prime minister, who serves as the commander in chief of the armed forces.
That makes the matter unclear.
The USA is still officially an ally of the Iraqi government and is in the country at the invitation of the Iraqi government to support the country's armed forces in the fight against the Islamic State.
Pro-Iranian militias repeatedly attack American soldiers in the Middle East.
© dpa/Khalid Mohammed
At the end of November 2023, the Middle East Forum published a statement by the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Husayn al-Hamidawi, who is openly committed to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
The aim is apparently to drive the USA out of the country.
“The continuation of the occupation through the violation of Iraq's sovereignty and the violation of its airspace, whether by drones or combat spy planes or through the scandalous interference of the American ambassador in government affairs, requires us to change some of the rules of engagement in order to protect the country to protect and free from the dirt of the occupiers”.
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Where the Islamic Resistance attacks in Iraq – pro-Iranian militias expect US retaliation
Most of the attacks in Iraq targeted the Ain al-Asad military base in Anbar province, the Harir air base near Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, and the Conoco gas field and al-Tanf base in neighboring Syria.
On November 17, a US Department of Defense official said that US forces in Iraq and Syria had been attacked sixty-one times since October 17, with the number split roughly evenly between the two countries.
Following recent attacks on US troops, pro-Iranian militias in the Middle East have taken security measures.
In Syria, officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have evacuated their positions, according to activists.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told
dpa
on Thursday (February 1) that high-ranking commanders had left their positions along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Some of them moved to the Syrian capital Damascus.
Similar precautions have also been taken in Iraq to protect against US retaliation.
Withdrawal of US soldiers in Iraq in danger
The USA is currently negotiating with the Iraqi government about withdrawing American soldiers from the Arab country.
The Pentagon announced this on Thursday.
According to the Pentagon, around 2,400 US soldiers are still stationed in Iraq.
First, however, a group of experts should assess the needs of the Iraqi security forces.
Whether and how retaliation will influence a possible withdrawal of US troops from Iraq remains to be seen.
(erpe/dpa)