Iraqi Shia militia threatens to attack US forces if assaulted by Israel

Baghdad, Sep 26 (IANS) Iraqi Shia militia Kata'ib Hezbollah has threatened to attack the presence of US forces if Israel assaults Iraq.
 

Abu Ali al-Askar, security leader of the Iranian-backed Shia militia, said on Wednesday in a statement that the Iraqi airspace is witnessing intense activity by the US and Israel, indicating "the possibility of a Zionist (Israeli) aggression against Iraq".

"Accordingly, the Kata'ib Hezbollah renews its warning that its response will not be limited to Israel only, but will include the entire US presence," the statement added as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Al-Askar also called on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Shia militia group, to increase the number and scale of their operations and the level of threat to Israel.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for multiple drone and missile attacks on Israeli targets "in solidarity with our people in Palestine and Lebanon," without specifying the affected sites or reporting any casualties.

Since the onset of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has conducted multiple attacks on Israeli and US targets in the region in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

--IANS

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