The Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an Iran-backed Shia Muslim militia group, released a statement in which the group claimed to have targeted four US military bases with six attacks on Monday.
The bases targeted include the Ain al-Assad airbase, which faced three of the six attacks and is located in western Iraq; Erbil Airport in northern Iraq; “Tal Baidar” in northern Syria; and “Al-Tanf” in southern Syria.
The group released the statement alongside a video of the attacks on their personal Telegram channel. The group made no mention of what weaponry they utilized, saying only “appropriate weapons were used.” However, footage reveals the group utilized rockets and drones in their attacks. The group further claimed their attacks “hit their targets directly,” a claim that has been regularly refuted by the United States Central Command.
An Increase to Causalities from the Strikes:
The Pentagon’s Press Secretary, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, held a press meeting on Monday detailing casualties from the attacks on US military bases in the region. General Ryder stated there have been a total of 45 injuries reported since the attacks initially began on October 17th, 32 of which have been reported at Al-Tanf, 13 at Al-Asad, and one at Erbil. The total number of injuries is nearly double the number of injuries reported by CENTCOM on October 24th, who told NBC that 24 American personnel were wounded in the attacks.
General Ryder informed the press that as of November 6th, the total number of attacked bases stood at a total of 38, 20 of which were attacked in Iraq, while 18 others faced strikes in Syria.
One American contractor died during the strikes; however, both CENTCOM and the Department of Defense stated he died of cardiac arrest unrelated to the Islamic Resistance’s attack.
The Released Footage:
Footage released by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq featuring their attacks on the US military bases of Ain al-Assad, Erbil Airport, Tal Baidar, and Al-Tanf.
11/6/23 pic.twitter.com/cksVENbo8V— GHMV2 (@GHMV2Research) November 6, 2023
The United States Secretary of State’s Visit to Iraq:
The sharp increase in attacks follows the United States Secretary of State’s, Antony Blinken, surprise visit to Baghdad on Sunday night. While in Baghdad, Blinken warned Iran-affiliated groups against attacking US personnel.
“To anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel, here or anywhere else in the region, don’t do it.” Blinken said in his statement.
Blinken further claimed the United States was “not looking for conflict with Iran, but we will do what’s necessary to protect our personnel, be they military or civilian.”
Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and discussed the situation in the Middle East as well as the recent drone and rocket attacks against American forces. Blinken told reporters that the Iraqi leader pledged to help stop the incidents.
US Forces Strike Back at Iranian Proxies:
The Department of Defense released a statement on October 26th in which they announced that United States forces targeted two facilities in eastern Syria operated by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.
The DoD made it clear in their statement that the US will not pull back any resistance against Iranian proxies, saying in a statement that “we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.”
The DoD also made it clear that the strikes “are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict,” they said in a statement. “We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict.”
The Statement Reads Below:
In the name of God, the most Gracious, the most Merciful, permission has been given to those who fight because they have been wronged, and indeed, God is Able to grant them victory. The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted four American occupation bases with six attacks, three of which targeted the “Ain al-Assad” base in western Iraq. The “occupation base near Erbil Airport” in northern Iraq and the “Tal al-Baidar” bases in northern Syria and “Al-Tanf” bases in southern Syria had a strike. For each one since dawn today and at different times, the appropriate weapons were used, which hit its objectives directly. Victory is only from God. Indeed, God is Mighty, All-Wise.
