Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Joint US-Saudi armed troops carried out airstrikes on Wednesday against Iran-backed militant groups in Iraq.
The joint operation targeted different logistical and weapons storage locations in eastern and northern Iraq, escalating the current regional battle.
The strikes, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), were an instant response to more than 30 drone operations carried out by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the past 72 hours.
These drone strikes targeted US military sites in the region as well as critical oil infrastructure within Saudi Arabia.
This is the first time Saudi Arabia has claimed responsibility for military operations inside Iraq since the conflict started. The Saudi Ministry of Defense confirmed its role, citing self-defense after intercepting hostile drones targeting oil facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
The coordinated air strike came shortly after a foiled attack on Tuesday, during which US forces successfully intercepted numerous ballistic missiles fired straight from Iran against US sites in the Middle East.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization of Shiite paramilitary forces integrated into Iraq’s security structure, said that their headquarters and locations had been targeted.
Local PMF leaders in Nineveh and Basra confirmed the deaths and injuries of many fighters.
The PMF described the joint US-Saudi strike as a dangerous escalation and a clear breach of Iraqi sovereignty.
Iranian defense officials denied responsibility for the drone attacks, describing the Western claims as a huge mistake, while the IRGC pledged that the resistance will continue.