Iraq: US kills 24 militants of Iran-linked group

By Aamir Hassani

BAGHDAD (AA) - Death toll of Sunday attacks by the U.S. on positions belong to Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah militia group in Iraq and Syria has risen to 24, according to an Iraqi source on Monday.

Jawad Kadhim Al-Rabaiwi, senior leader of Hashd al-Shaabi -- an umbrella group for various militias -- said in a statement that 24 were killed and another 51 were injured as a result of these attacks.

Al-Rabaiwi pointed out that the death toll might rise as a result of the severe injuries.

U.S. forces struck five Iraqi Hezbollah positions in Iraq and Syria, the military said in a statement on Sunday.

The "defensive strikes" against the Iran-linked Kataib Hezbollah militia group came in response to rocket attacks Friday on an Iraqi base that hosts U.S. coalition forces fighting Daesh/ISIS.

Three locations in Iraq and two in Syria were targeted, according to chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.

They included weapon storage facilities and command and control locations which were claimed to be used to plan and carry out attacks on anti-Daesh coalition forces.

The strikes will "degrade" Kataib Hezbollah's "ability to conduct future attacks" against the coalition forces, Hoffman said.

Iran and its Kataib Hezbollah "proxy forces must cease their attacks on U.S. and coalition forces and respect Iraq's sovereignty to prevent additional defensive actions by U.S. forces," Hoffman added.

On Friday, one U.S. civilian contractor was killed and several U.S. service members and Iraqi personnel were injured in the attack in Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk.