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Displaced people gather at Beirut's central Martyrs' Square, as Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs on September 28, 2024. Timour Azhari/ReutersIt was 3 a.m. and southern Beirut was under the most intense bombardment it had seen in nearly 20 years. These were the displaced from neighborhoods being pummelled by Israeli warplanes. As we crisscrossed the city in our car, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for the residents of not yet struck parts of southern Beirut. Meanwhile the people of Beirut wait to see what has become of their homes, their city and its civilians.

Persons: Timour Azhari, cradled, el Organizations: CNN Locations: Beirut's, Israel, Beirut

☆ Six US-Backed Kurdish Fighters Killed in Drone Attack on US Base in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

AMMAN (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said on Monday that six of their fighters had been killed in an explosive drone attack by Iran-backed armed groups that came from areas of Syria's Deir al Zor under the control of the Syrian government. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq - an umbrella group of several Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups - on Monday claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Al-Omar field, saying it launched the attack on Feb. 4. Washington blames the group for a drone attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan earlier this month that killed three U.S. forces. The U.S. launched dozens of strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, killing about 40 people, the vast majority reported to be militants. Iran-backed groups declaring support for the Palestinians have entered the fray across the region as the war between Israel and the militant Hamas group has intensified.

Persons: Syria's Deir al, Farhad Shami, Omar, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Timour, Gareth Jones, William Maclean Organizations: Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, Commando, Washington, Hamas, Lebanese Locations: AMMAN, Kurdish, Iran, Syria's Deir, Syria's Deir al Zor, U.S, Al, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Gaza, Red

☆ Iraq Bans 8 Local Banks From US Dollar Transactions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Timour AzhariBAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has banned eight local commercial banks from engaging in U.S. dollar transactions, taking action to reduce fraud, money laundering and other illegal uses of U.S. currency days after a visit by a top U.S. Treasury official. The banks are banned from accessing the Iraqi central bank's daily dollar auction, a main source of hard currency in the import-dependent country that has become a focal point of a U.S. crackdown on currency smuggling to neighbouring Iran. A central bank document verified by an official at the bank listed the banned banks. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesThey are: Ahsur International Bank for Investment; Investment Bank of Iraq; Union Bank of Iraq; Kurdistan International Islamic Bank for Investment and Development; Al Huda Bank; Al Janoob Islamic Bank for Investment and Finance; Arabia Islamic Bank and Hammurabi Commercial Bank. Banks banned from dollar transactions are allowed to continue operating and are allowed to engage in transactions in other currencies, the central bank says.

Persons: Timour Azhari, Al Huda, Ashur, Hammurabi, ”, Banks, Brian Nelson, Mohammed Shia, Giles Elgood Organizations: Treasury, Ahsur, Bank for Investment, Investment Bank of Iraq, Union Bank of, Kurdistan International Islamic Bank for Investment, Development, Al, Al Huda Bank, Islamic Bank for Investment, Finance, Arabia Islamic Bank, Hammurabi Commercial Bank, Central Bank of, U.S . Treasury, Huda Bank, Reuters, Iraqi Locations: Timour, Timour Azhari BAGHDAD, Iraq, U.S, Iran, United States, Israel, Gaza, Union Bank of Iraq, Kurdistan, Central Bank of Iraq, Washington, Baghdad

☆ No Attack Detected on Iraq's Al-Harir Air Base Hosting US Forces -Security Sources
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO (Reuters) -No attack on the al-Harir air base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq was detected on Saturday, three security sources told Reuters, shortly after Islamic Resistance in Iraq militants claimed to have targeted the base. On Friday, the U.S. military launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the militias it backs, in retaliation for last weekend's drone attack in northeastern Jordan that killed three U.S. troops. Since the Israel-Hamas war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza began in October, the U.S. military has come under attack at least 100 times in Iraq and Syria, usually with a mix of rockets and one-way attack drones. (Reporting by Timour Azhari and Enas Alashray; editing by Mark Heinrich)Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

Persons: Timour Azhari, Mark Heinrich, Thomson Organizations: Reuters, Iraq, U.S ., Revolutionary Guard, Thomson Reuters Locations: CAIRO, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Gaza

☆ U.S. Launches Retaliatory Strikes in Iraq, Syria; Nearly 40 Reported Killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The White House said the United States had informed Iraq ahead of strikes. Baghdad later accused the United States of deception, saying a U.S. claim of coordination with the Iraqi authorities was "unfounded". The Syrian foreign ministry said the United States was fuelling conflict in the region in a "very dangerous way". The United States has assessed that the drone that killed the three soldiers and wounded more than 40 other people in Jordan was made by Iran, U.S. officials have told Reuters. Iranian advisers assist armed groups in both Iraq, where the United States has around 2,500 troops, and Syria, where it has 900.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Timour Azhari, Joe Biden's, Nasser Kanaani, Rami Abdulrahman, General Douglas Sims, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ebrahim Raisi, Radek Sikorski, Jordan, Roger Wicker, Enas Alashray, Adam Makary, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold, Tom Perry, Frances Kerry Organizations: United, Revolutionary Guard, U.S, Syrian, Human Rights, Joint Staff, Pentagon, U.S . Defense, Reuters, Republican, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Timour Azhari WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, United States, Iraq, Syria, U.S, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraqi, Baghdad, Washington, Britain, Polish, Brussels, Al, Jordan

☆ Iraq's Nujaba Says It Will Continue Attacks on U.S. Forces
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Nujaba said on Friday it will continue launching attacks on U.S. forces in the region until the Gaza war ends and U.S. forces exit Iraq, days after another major Iran-backed group said it was suspending such attacks. Iraq's shadowy Kataib Hezbollah said on Tuesday it would pause attacks on U.S. forces, a decision that followed the killing of three U.S. soldiers in a drone attack in Jordan near the Syrian border that Washington blamed on Iran-back militants. Part of Iran's so-called "Axis of Resistance," the umbrella group has claimed more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war began. In 2020, the U.S. killed Iran Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport. The strike came days after the U.S. blamed Kataib Hezbollah for the killing of a U.S. contractor.

Persons: Nujaba, Akram al, Ebrahim Raisi, Iran Quds, Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al, Kataib, Timour Azhari, Jana Choukeir, Michael Georgy, Nick Macfie Organizations: IRI, Iran, Iran Quds Force Locations: BAGHDAD, Iran, U.S, Gaza, Iraq, Jordan, Washington, Syria, Israel, Tehran, Baghdad, Dubai

☆ Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah Suspends Military Operations on US Forces -Statement
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah announced the suspension of all its military operations against U.S. troops in the region, in a decision aimed at preventing "embarrassment" to the Iraqi government, the group said in a statement. The decision follows the killing of three U.S. troops in a drone attack near the Jordan-Syria border - an attack that the Pentagon said bore the "footprints" of Kataib Hezbollah, though a final assessment had not yet been made. Founded in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah is one of the elite Iraqi armed factions closest to Iran. Iraq's government is backed by parties and militias close to Iran, though not directly by the hardline groups that have been firing on U.S. forces, Western and Iraqi officials say. Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Timour Azhari, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: Hezbollah, U.S, Pentagon, U.S . Defense Locations: BAGHDAD, Iran, Jordan, Syria, U.S, Iraq, Gaza, Iraq's, Western, Baghdad

☆ Iraqi, Jordanian Foreign Ministers Hold Call After Attack on U.S. Outpost in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, in a phone call with his Jordanian counterpart on Tuesday, condemned an attack on a U.S. military outpost on Jordanian territory near the border with Syria, state media reported. Hussein and Ayman Safadi stressed the need to distance the two countries and the region from military threats by any side, Iraqi state media added. That attack killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded more than 40 troops. Iraq's government is backed by parties and militias close to Iran, though not directly by the hardline groups that have been firing on U.S. forces, Western and Iraqi officials say. Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on.

Persons: Fuad Hussein, Hussein, Ayman Safadi, Israel, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Timour Azhari, Enas, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Iraqi, Jordanian, Sunday, U.S, U.S . Defense Locations: Syria, Iran, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Hamas, Jordan, Israel, Western, Baghdad, Gaza

☆ Iraq Condemns Deadly Attack on U.S. Troops in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The United States has accused Iran-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq of carrying out the attack, the first deadly blow against U.S. forces since the eruption of the Gaza war touched off violence across the Middle East. Iran-aligned groups have been waging attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, since their Palestinian ally Hamas and Israel went to war on Oct. 7. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organisation of hardline Iran-backed militant groups, on Sunday claimed attacks on three bases, including one on the Jordan-Syria border. Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on. The attack took place one day after Iraq and the United States initiated talks on the end of a U.S.-led international military coalition that deployed to Iraq a decade ago as part of the campaign against Islamic State.

Persons: Basim Alawadi, Israel, Tala, Tom Perry, Timour, Nick Macfie Organizations: United, U.S, Sunday, Islamic Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraqi, Jordan, United States, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Jordanian, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, Hamas, Western, Baghdad, Islamic State

☆ Explosive Drone Strikes Iraq's Khor Mor Gas Field -Sources
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An explosive drone struck Khor Mor gas field in the Sulaimaniya region of northern Iraq on Thursday, two sources told Reuters, adding the explosion had caused limited damage but no one had been injured. Pearl Petroleum, a consortium of United Arab Emirates-based energy firm Dana Gas and its affiliate Crescent Petroleum, have the rights to exploit the Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields, two of the biggest gas fields in Iraq. In a separate incident earlier in the day, an explosive-laden drone targeting U.S. forces at a base near Erbil airport in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region was shot down by air defences, the region's counter-terrorism service said. Iraq has witnessed near-daily drone and rocket attacks by hardline militias since Israel's war in Gaza began in October, mostly on bases housing troops belonging to a U.S-led military coalition. (Reporting by Timour Azhari; Writing by Enas Alashray and Timour Azhari; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

Persons: Dana, Timour Azhari, Enas Alashray, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Pearl Petroleum, United, Dana Gas, Crescent Petroleum Locations: BAGHDAD, Sulaimaniya, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Erbil, Iraq's, Kurdistan, Gaza, U.S

☆ US Personnel Suffer Minor Injuries in Iraq Base Attack: U.S. Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. personnel suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq's security forces was seriously wounded in an attack on Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base on Saturday, a U.S. official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said initial reports indicated that the base was hit by ballistic missiles but he left open the possibility it was struck by rockets. Two security sources in Iraq and one government source said the base was hit by multiple rockets fired from inside Iraq. A second U.S. official said the attack was carried out by militants from inside Iraq. Iraq is deeply concerned about becoming a battleground between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Persons: Asad, Mohammed Shia, Phil Stewart, Timour, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Hamas, U.S ., Iraq's, Pentagon, Monday Locations: WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, Ain, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Iran, United States, U.S, State, Baghdad, Erbil, Iraq's, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Washington

☆ Iraqi Kurdish PM Cancels Meeting With Iran Minister in Protest Over Attack - Source
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani cancelled a meeting with Iran's foreign minister at the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland in protest over Iranian missile strikes on the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, a source said on Wednesday. Iran late on Monday struck Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, with ballistic missiles in what it said was an attack on an Israeli spy headquarters, claims vehemently denied by Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials. The attack killed at least four people, including a prominent Kurdish businessman and his infant child. The Iranian strikes have led to a rare diplomatic row with Iraq's government, with Baghdad filing a complaint against Iranian "aggression" at the United Nations Security Council and recalling its ambassador to Tehran. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, a Shi'ite, was brought to power with the backing of some pro-Iranian factions, but has been keen to show his government opposes any infringement on Iraq's sovereignty.

Persons: Masrour Barzani, Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Shia, Maha El, Timour Azhari, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Iranian, Monday, United Nations Security Council, . Locations: BAGHDAD, Kurdish, Davos, Switzerland, Iraqi Kurdish, Erbil, Iran, Iraq's, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Baghdad, Tehran, Iraq, U.S, . Iraqi

☆ Iraqi, Saudi Ministers Discuss Iranian Attack on Kurdistan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi and Saudi foreign ministers discussed in a phone call on Wednesday the latest regional and international developments, led by the Iranian attack on Iraq's Kurdistan region, the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement. Iran late on Monday struck Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, with ballistic missiles in what it said was an attack on an Israeli spy headquarters -- claims vehemently denied by Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials. The Iranian attacks have caused a rare diplomatic dispute between the two neighbouring allies. (Reporting by Timour Azhari, Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly Editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Timour Azhari, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Sandra Maler Organizations: Monday Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraqi, Saudi, Kurdistan, Iran, Erbil, Iraq's

☆ Suspected U.S. strike in Iraq kills five militia members, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. air strike killed five members of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group north of the city of Kirkuk as they were preparing to launch projectiles at U.S. forces in the country, three Iraqi security sources said. U.S. military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iraqi armed groups have claimed more than 70 such attacks against U.S. forces since Oct. 17 over Washington's backing of Israel in its bombardment of Gaza. The U.S. in November launched two series of strikes against what it said were Iran-aligned armed groups who had engaged in attacks against their forces. Those strikes killed at least 10 militants who were identified both as members of shadowy militia Kataeb Hezbollah and of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, an official security institution composed mainly of Shi'ite Muslim armed groups, many with close links to Iran.

Persons: Timour, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, Hezbollah, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, United, Thomson Locations: Iran, Kirkuk, U.S, Syria, Gaza, Israel, United States, Iraq, State

☆ Suspected U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills 5 Militia Members, Sources Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - A suspected U.S. air strike killed five members of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group north of the city of Kirkuk as they were preparing to launch projectiles at U.S. forces in the country, three Iraqi security sources said. U.S. military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iraqi armed groups have claimed more than 70 such attacks against U.S. forces since Oct. 17 over Washington's backing of Israel in its bombardment of Gaza. The U.S. in November launched two series of strikes against what it said were Iran-aligned armed groups who had engaged in attacks against their forces. Those strikes killed at least 10 militants who were identified both as members of shadowy militia Kataeb Hezbollah and of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, an official security institution composed mainly of Shi'ite Muslim armed groups, many with close links to Iran.

Persons: Timour, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Hezbollah, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, United Locations: Iran, Kirkuk, U.S, Syria, Gaza, Israel, United States, Iraq, State

☆ At Least 10 Killed in East Iraq Attack -Two Security Sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed and 14 others wounded in an attack with roadside bombs and gunfire on a vehicle and rescuers in Iraq's eastern Diyala province on Thursday evening, two security sources said. The sources said the attack near the town of Amraniyah targeted relatives of a local MP and included two roadside bombs and sniper fire from unknown assailants. They did not elaborate further on possible motives for the attack. Security forces imposed a curfew in the area following the attack. (Reporting by Timour Azhari)

Persons: Timour Azhari Organizations: Security Locations: BAGHDAD, Diyala

☆ US forces attacked 4 times in Iraq, Syria within hours
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD, Nov 23 (Reuters) - U.S. forces were attacked four times in Iraq and Syria on Thursday with rockets and armed drones, but there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure, a U.S military official said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said U.S. and international forces were attacked at two sites in northeastern Syria with multiple rockets and a one-way attack drone. In Iraq, multiple one-way drones were launched at the Ain Al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad and a drone was launched at a base housing U.S. forces near Erbil airport in northern Iraq. A group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which analysts say is a catch-all for several Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups, had claimed attacks on those locations earlier in the day. As of Thursday, there had been 36 attacks in Iraq and 37 in Syria, the U.S. military official said.

Persons: Asad, Timour, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Hamas, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Syria, Ain Al, Baghdad, Erbil, Iran, U.S, United States, Israel

☆ Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah Militia Says 5 Killed by US Strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah militia said five of its members were killed in its stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad in U.S. strikes that Washington said came in response to attacks by Iran-aligned militias against their forces in the region. The attacks began on Oct. 17 and have been linked by Iraqi militia groups to U.S. support for Israel in its bombardment of Gaza following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel. The strike by fighter aircraft targeted and destroyed a Kataeb Hezbollah operations centre and a Kataeb Hezbollah Command and Control node near Al Anbar and Jurf Al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad, a U.S. defense official said. An Iraqi military official said at least three Kataeb Hezbollah members had been killed and seven wounded in the overnight U.S. strikes. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Timour Azhari in Baghdad; Editing by Jacqueline Wong asnd Andrew Heavens)

Persons: Washington, Jurf, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Jacqueline Wong asnd Andrew Heavens Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah Command Locations: BAGHDAD, Jurf, Baghdad, U.S, Iran, The U.S, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Al Anbar, Iraqi, United States

[1/5] Mourners carry the coffins of Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah fighters who were killed by US airstrike in Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad during a funeral in Baghdad, Iraq November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsBAGHDAD, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Iraq's government condemned overnight U.S. airstrikes south of Baghdad that killed eight members of Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah, saying they were a "dangerous escalation" not coordinated with authorities. The U.S. has carried out two series of strikes in Iraq since Tuesday, in response to more than 60 attacks by Iran-aligned militias against forces in the region, and destroyed a Kataib Hezbollah operations centre and a command and control node. Kataib Hezbollah said the strikes in Iraq killed eight of its members in its stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad. In a statement, it threatened to attack a wider array of targets if U.S. strikes continued.

Persons: Iraq's, Thaier, Kataib, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Timour Azhari, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Israel, Hamas, Iraq's, Islamic State, Popular, Forces, Islamic, United, Thomson Locations: Jurf, Baghdad, Iraq, Rights BAGHDAD, Iran, U.S, United States, Gaza, Syria, Israel, Ain, Asad, Iranian, Islamic State, Iraqi, State

BAGHDAD, Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S. forces were attacked at an airbase west of Baghdad early on Tuesday and a U.S. military aircraft responded in self-defence, U.S. officials said, in the first U.S. retaliation on Iraqi territory to dozens of recent militant drone and missile attacks. Ain al-Asad airbase was attacked by a close-range ballistic missile which resulted in eight injuries and minor damage to infrastructure, two U.S. officials said. The U.S. had so far limited its response to numerous recent attacks against its forces in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, claimed by Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups, to three separate sets of strikes in Syria. U.S. and international forces that make up the global coalition to fight the remnants of Islamic State have been targeted more than 60 times in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, U.S. officials say. Dozens of U.S. servicemen suffered minor injuries in the attacks but have all returned to duty, U.S. officials say.

Persons: Asad, Timour Azhari, Phil Stewart, Ali Idrees, Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: U.S, Israel, Hamas, Washington, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Baghdad, U.S, Ain, Iranian, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Gaza, Israel, State, Washington

☆ Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah says attacks aim to 'drain' US, sanctions 'ridiculous'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, January 13, 2020. The United States has blamed Iran and militia groups it supports for the more than 60 attacks since mid-October as regional tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7. At least 59 U.S. military personnel have been wounded in the attacks, though all have returned to duty so far. The U.S. State Department also designated militia group Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada and its secretary general, Abu Ala al-Walai, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. In a statement posted on Telegram late on Friday, Walai described the sanctions as "a medal of honour."

Persons: Asad, John Davison, Abu Ali Al, Askari, Sayyid, Abu Ala, Walai, Timour Azhari, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, United, Saturday, Treasury, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S . State Department, Terrorists, Militia, Israel, Thomson Locations: U.S, Anbar province, Iraq, Rights BAGHDAD, Iran, Syria, United States, Israel, State, Gaza

☆ US forces in Syria attacked four times in less than 24 hours - U.S. military official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAGHDAD, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. and international forces in northeastern Syria were attacked with drones and rockets at least four times in the past 24 hours, though there were no casualties and only minor damage, a U.S. military official said on Monday. U.S. forces came under attack three times on Sunday evening, including near the Al Omar Oil field and at a U.S. base at al-Shaddadi, the official told Reuters. Multiple drones were fired at U.S. forces at the Rumalyn Landing Zone on Monday morning, the official said. U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria since early October. Reporting by Timour Azhari in Baghdad; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Al Omar, Timour Azhari, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: . U.S, Al Omar Oil, Reuters, U.S, Israel, Pentagon, United, Security, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Syria, U.S, ., Al, Iran, Iraq, Gaza, Tehran, United States, State, Israel, East, Baghdad

☆ Drone, explosive attacks target US forces across Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There had been four attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria in the past 24 hours, a separate U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The security sources said the patrol was accompanied by Iraqi counter-terrorism forces and that a vehicle in the patrol was damaged. A drone was also launched at al-Harir air base in Erbil which house U.S. and international forces but was downed before reaching its target, security sources said. It added that the base had been evacuated of U.S.-led coalition forces on Oct. 20. The U.S. military official said they "don't have any updates regarding adjustments in force posture throughout Iraq and Syria."

Persons: Kamal Ayash, Jamal al, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Idrees Ali, Timour Azhari, Mark Heinrich, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, Federal Iraqi, Pentagon, United, Thomson Locations: MOSUL, Iraq, U.S, Israel, Syria, Mosul, Ain, Asad, Baghdad, Erbil, Gaza, Iran, Tehran, Iranian, United States, Anbar, Badrani, Washington

☆ Drone attack targets Iraq's Harir base, sirens sound at US embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD, Nov 8 (Reuters) - An armed drone targeted al-Harir airbase hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq, two security sources said on Wednesday, following sirens warning of a possible attack at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The sirens sounded at the U.S. embassy on Wednesday evening, several people in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone that houses the embassy said, but there were no reports of projectile impacts or casualties. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy and an Iraqi government security official did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A group called the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" claimed responsibility for the latest attack, saying in a statement that it targeted al-Harir airbase with two drones. Among the bases were Ain al-Asad in western Iraq, a military base near Baghdad's international airport and Harir in Erbil.

Persons: Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Timour Azhari, Grant McCool, Daniel Wallis, Diane Craft Organizations: Harir, U.S, U.S ., Hamas, Israel, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Baghdad, Baghdad's, Syria, Israel, Iran, Ain, Harir, Erbil

☆ Lebanon's Hezbollah: What weapons does it have?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is an overview of some of Hezbollah's most significant weapons, based on Hezbollah statements, security sources, weapons experts and academic reports. Hezbollah says it has rockets that can hit all areas of Israel. Last year, he said Hezbollah had the ability within Lebanon to retrofit thousands of rockets with guidance systems to make them precision missiles. Hezbollah has posted videos of what it says are direct hits on Israeli tanks and other military vehicles since Oct. 7. Hezbollah has since broadcast videos that it says show more of the same weapons that were used in 2006.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Israel, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Maya Gebeily, Timour Azhari, Tom Perry, Edmund Blair, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Raad, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Beirut, Lebanon, Iran, Islamic Republic, Iraq, Syria, Dawn, Haifa

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