This marks the fourth U.S. airstrike against Iranian-backed militias since Oct. 26 and the first on a target in Iraq.
A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider gunship struck a vehicle Tuesday near Baghdad involved in recent attacks on the Al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a U.S. official told The War Zone Tuesday. It was the first time the U.S. has struck a target in Iraq since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war Oct. 7.
At least one member of the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia was killed in the attack, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. The official did specify what role the vehicle or occupants had in the attacks on Al-Asad.
A U.S. military official told The War Zone that “at least one member of a hostile force belonging to an Iranian-backed militia” was killed when the U.S. responded to an attack on Al Asad today that injured several U.S. troops and caused minor damage to infrastructure.
It was the 65th such attack on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, according to the Pentagon. It was also the third time, including Oct. 21 and Oct. 17, that U.S. troops have been injured by attacks on Al Asad, according to the Pentagon, which said the base has struck at least 15 times by drones and rockets since Oct. 17.
The U.S. military official, also speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reasons, could not immediately say how many troops were injured or offer details about what kind of injuries. That official would not say how the U.S. strike was carried out nor what role the vehicle or occupants played in the attack on Al Asad.
This marks the fourth known U.S. airstrike against Iranian-backed militias since Oct. 26 and the first in Iraq, as well as the first by a Ghostrider. The previous three attacks – Nov. 12, Nov. 8 and Oct. 26 – were carried out by Air Force fighters on targets in Syria.
Open source trackers began reporting seeing a Ghostrider flying patterns over west Baghdad last night. The fact that it was doing so with its transponder on was very peculiar.
The latest attack on Al Asad was claimed by a loose-knit group of those militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance. There were also three reported over the weekend, two in Syria and one in Iraq.
The group said one of the fighters associated with it, Fadil Al-Maksusi, was killed. He belonged to Kataib Hezbollah and was killed in the airstrike, Atlas News reported.
The Pentagon says the attacks on U.S. forces since Oct. 17 have been fairly evenly split, with 31 in Iraq and 34 in Syria. They have been carried out “by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets,” a U.S. official said. “Most of these attacks were successfully disrupted by our military. Most failed to reach their targets, thanks to our robust defenses.”
Still, more than 60 troops have been injured in these attacks, including the ones in the most recent attack on Al Asad. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Nov. 16. About 27 troops were evaluated for traumatic brain injury and 32 for non-serious injuries and all have returned to duty, she said.
As for the platform involved here, the AC-130J, it’s Air Force Special Operations Command’s flying arsenal ship equipped with 30mm Bushmaster chain gun, a 105mm Howitzer and a wide variety of air-to-ground guided weapons. Its sensor and communications suite, as well as its long loitering time and surgical air-to-ground arsenal, make it extremely capable when it comes to finding and attacking targets of opportunity in lower threat airspace, especially at night. You can read more about the latest AC-130J developments here and here.
This is a developing story. We will update it when there is more news to report about the attack.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
