U.S. airstrikes target Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria

The United States conducted airstrikes against two Iranian-backed militias on Sunday, targeting operational and weapons storage facilities in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon said.

Three locations used by the Kataib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada militant groups were hit, the Pentagon said. The U.S. says these militias are behind a number of recent drone attacks against American troops in the region. There have been no reports of any casualties.

"The United States took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation — but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

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A small number of U.S. troops remain in Iraq to help train its military, which is still dealing with what is left of the Islamic State. In the wake of a deadly rocket attack against the U.S. coalition in Irbil, Iraq, President Biden in February ordered airstrikes against Iranian-backed militant groups in Syria.