Hezbollah has issued a terrifying threat to the US after American troops wiped out three of its members. A leader of Kataib Hezbollah and two of his guards were killed in a US drone strike in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
One of the victims has been identified as Abu Baqir al-Saadi who is a senior commander in Kataib Hezbollah. The Pentagon said the commander was responsible for directing attacks on American forces in the region. The US linked the group to a drone attack in Jordan that killed three US troops last month.
US Central Command (Centcom) took responsibility for what it called “a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing a Kata’ib Hezbollah commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region.”
It said: “There are no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties at this time”.
“The United States will continue to take necessary action to protect our people. We will not hesitate to hold responsible all those who threaten our forces’ safety,” it added.
In response to the attack a representative of Kataib Hezbollah said the group maintained an arsenal capable of striking beyond Iraq.
Kataib Hezbollah said: “Our drones and missiles began from Ain Al Asad, have reached Jordan to Haifa, to Karesh, and will reach anywhere we want at any time we want,” reports Newsweek.
The Nujaba Movement – which is also known as the Hezbollah Al-Nujaba Movement – issued an even more frightening response to the attack.
It said: “O’ heroic resistors, you who are fighting the brutal occupier, this is your time and this is your battle.”.
It added: “By God, then by God, it is only one death. Let it be with honour and dignity.
“Let our revenge for the blood of the martyrs be retaliation against America, its agents, partners and interests. Let this be our path and our primary cause from now on.”
American forces have been hit with more than 165 rocket and drone strikes since the Israel Gaza war began on October 7, reports The BBC.
The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighbouring Syria in a mission to combat the Islamic State terror group, according to the Pentagon.
The American military has also recently launched attacks against the Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen, in response to attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea.
