US missile strikes on the border between Syria and Iraq which have reportedly killed 16 people have left the Middle East “on the brink of the abyss”.
The US launched strikes on 85 targets in Iraq and Syria in response to last Sunday’s drone attack on the US Tower 22 military base in Iraq which killed three American troops that the US blames on an Iran-backed militia group.
Iran denies its involvement in the attack and called the accusation “baseless”.
Following the attack Iraq has said the retaliatory strikes will bring disastrous consequences for the region with civilians among those killed.
A statement released by the Iraqi government said the US had not told it about the attacks and accused the Americans of “disavowing legal responsibility” and “misleading international public opinion”.
It said the attacks were “against the sovereignty of Iraq” as security force locations and neighbouring civilian areas were targetted.
The statement read: “This aggressive strike will put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss, and it also contradicts efforts to establish the required stability.
“Iraq reiterates its refusal to let its lands be an arena for settling scores, and all parties must realize this. Our country’s land and sovereignty are not the appropriate place to send messages and show force between opponents.
“The Iraqi government will make every effort required by moral, national, and constitutional responsibility to protect our land, our cities, and the lives of our children in all types of armed forces.”
Iraq says 25 people were also injured in the overnight strikes.
Following the attacks, Iran said the strikes violated the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the two countries, with spokesman Nasser Kanaani saying they represented “another adventurous and strategic mistake by the United States that will result only in increased tension in instability in the region”.
