United States Begins Attack on paramilitary groups in Iraq, Syria

The US Army launched air strikes Friday on the twelve targets in Iraq and Syria of paramilitary groups supported by Iran. US officials told the Associated Press news agency that this is the first step in countering the attack with fear that killed three American military officers in Jordan at the weekend.

President Joe Biden and other senior American officials have been warning for days that the United States would retaliate against these paramilitary groups and have made it clear that it would not be just an attack, but that it would be a several-stage response. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity for military operations that had not yet been made public.

Initial attacks by aircraft, with and without a pilot, hit command and control centres, ammunition depots and other items.

They took place just hours after President Biden and the top military leaders joined the family of three dead soldiers whose troops returned to the United States, where they were hosted with a solemn ceremony at the Dover Air Base in Dellauer. / VOA