Iraq militia chief vows to avenge US strike deaths

Описание: (6 Jul 2021) The leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia vowed on Monday to retaliate for the death of four of his men in a US airstrike along the Iraq-Syria border late last month, saying it will be a "qualitative operation" that everyone will talk about.
Abu Alaa al-Walae, commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press the victory of Iran's hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi in last month's presidential election will strengthen Iran-backed militant groups throughout the Middle East.
Al-Walae, who rarely gives interviews to foreign media organizations, spoke in an office in a Baghdad neighborhood along the Tigris river.
On 27 June, US Air Force planes carried out airstrikes near the Iraq-Syria border against what the Pentagon said were facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups to support drone strikes inside Iraq. Four militiamen were killed
The Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraqi state-sanctioned umbrella of mostly Shiite militias — including those targeted by the US strikes — said their men were on missions to prevent infiltration by the Islamic State group and denied the presence of weapons warehouses.
US troops in eastern Syria came under rocket attack the day following the airstrikes, with no reported casualties.
More recently, the attacks have become more sophisticated with militants using drones.
US military officials have grown increasingly alarmed over these strikes targeting US military bases in Iraq, which became more common after a US-directed drone killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport last year.
Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack.
The strike drew the ire of mostly Shiite Iraqi lawmakers and prompted parliament to pass a nonbinding resolution to pressure the Iraqi government to oust foreign troops from the country.

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