A US military strike on Wednesday in Baghdad killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander who was responsible for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US Central Command.
The attack, on Wednesday evening local time, was carried out by a drone against a vehicle in Baghdad, according to US and Iraqi officials. There are no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties, Central Command said in its statement.
“We will not hesitate to hold responsible all those who threaten our forces’ safety,” Central Command said.
The identity of the commander has not yet been released. Local police officials said on Wednesday that the strike hit an SUV in the Al-Mashtal, a predominantly Shia neighborhood in eastern Baghdad.
The strike came as the US has been planning retaliatory attacks against Iran-backed militants who launched a drone attack at a US outpost in Jordan last month that killed three American soldiers. The US has blamed that attack on an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. A US official said the strike was part of the response President Joe Biden authorized last week in response to the Jordan attack.
A Biden administration official told CNN that the strike on the Kataib Hezbollah commander does not mark the end of a series of retaliatory actions, with more to come in the coming days in response to the killing of the three US soldiers.
A White House official said the execution of the strike itself and its timing were carefully considered to avoid any loss of innocent life – and that the US military moved to go after this commander as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
A CNN team on the ground in Baghdad heard at least two loud explosions in quick succession around 9:30 p.m. local…
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