US drone kills Iran-backed Baghdad militia commander

An Iran-backed militia's high-ranking officer has been killed in a targeted attack by a US drone in Baghdad.

An individual in a position of authority within Kataib Hezbollah, together with two individuals responsible for his protection, was travelling in a car that was deliberately attacked in the eastern region of the Iraqi capital. All three individuals perished.

The Pentagon said that the commander was accountable for overseeing the execution of assaults against American personnel in the area.

Last month, the United States established a connection between the militia and a drone assault in Jordan, resulting in the death of three US personnel.

Following the incident, Kataib Hezbollah said that it would temporarily cease its assaults on American forces to avoid causing "discomfort" to the Iraqi government.

The drone attack occurred on Wednesday night in the Mashtal area of Baghdad, resulting in many loud explosions.

The moving vehicle on the busy street was struck with precision, destroying the automobile, which was engulfed in flames.

Abu Baqir al-Saadi, a high-ranking leader in Kataib Hezbollah, has been positively identified as one of the fatalities.

According to Centcom, the incident that occurred at 21:30 local time (18:30 GMT) resulted in the death of the individual who was in charge of personally organising and taking part in assaults against US military personnel in the area.

Centcom said there is no evidence of harm to surrounding structures or human casualties.

Upon arrival at the area, a group of demonstrators had assembled, vocally expressing their discontent by chanting: "America is the largest malevolent force."

A substantial number of police officers were there, accompanied by Swat teams sent by Iraq's interior ministry.

"You are individuals from another country," one guy said, further stating, "and individuals from other countries are responsible for this situation."

The raid occurred shortly after the United States conducted 85 airstrikes in the Iraq-Syria border region as a response to the deadly drone assault on American forces at a Jordanian facility on January 28th.

President Joe Biden described Friday's surge of strikes as only the first phase of the United States' reaction.

The drone attack on the Iraqi capital will be seen as a significant escalation.

However, it was likely unavoidable that the American policy would focus on the infrastructure the organisations and their high-ranking commanders utilised.

In the aftermath of the strike on Wednesday, armed groups in the nation have demanded retribution against the United States.

According to AFP, Harakat al Nujaba, a group accused of carrying out assaults on American soldiers, issued a statement vowing to retaliate specifically and asserting that these offences would not be left without consequences.

On January 4th, the United States conducted an attack in Baghdad, resulting in the death of a high-ranking member of Harakat al Nujaba.

Since the commencement of the Israel-Gaza conflict on October 7th, American soldiers have experienced over 165 instances of missile and drone attacks.

According to the Pentagon, there are around 2,500 American soldiers stationed in Iraq and 900 in Syria to combat the Islamic State terrorist organisation.

In reaction to the assaults on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the American military has lately initiated strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi organisation in Yemen.