How a US drone strike in Baghdad could spark a new Middle East crisis
After the strike, tensions escalated in Baghdad as the US vowed to defend its interests. No civilian casualties were reported in the precision drone strike.
A US drone strike killed a senior commander of the Kataib Hezbollah militia group and two other militants in Baghdad on Wednesday night, officials confirmed.
The strike was part of a US campaign to target Iran-backed militias in the region, following a deadly drone attack on a US base in Jordan last month.
Who Was Wissam al-Saadi?
The US drone hit a car in the Mashtal neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital, where Wissam Mohammed “Abu Bakr” al-Saadi, the head of Kataib Hezbollah’s operations in Syria, was travelling with two other members of the group, according to two militia officials.
Al-Saadi was responsible for planning and carrying out attacks on US forces in the region, US Central Command said in a statement.
“US forces conducted a defensive precision strike against a Kata’ib Hezbollah commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region,” the statement read.
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The strike sparked a fire and caused a loud explosion, drawing crowds of people to the scene. Images showed a charred and mangled car surrounded by emergency workers and onlookers.
No civilian casualties were reported.
Why the drone strike?
The US strike was a response to a drone attack on a US base near the Syrian border on March 15, which killed three American soldiers and wounded several others.
The US blamed the attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias that includes Kataib Hezbollah. The coalition has claimed responsibility for several attacks on US bases in the Middle East, saying they are in retaliation for US support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
The US has vowed to defend its interests and allies in the region, and has launched a series of air strikes on militia targets in Iraq and Syria in recent days. The US said it was targeting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its proxies, which it accused of escalating and expanding the cycle of violence.
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The US actions have angered the Iraqi government, which has called for an end to the violations of its sovereignty and the respect of its security agreements with the US. Kataib Hezbollah has said it was halting its attacks on US forces to avoid further escalation and embarrassment for the Iraqi authorities.
US Secretary of State seeks peace amid escalating tensions with Iran
The US strike in Baghdad came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel and the Palestinian territories, where he met with leaders and pledged to support a lasting cease-fire and a two-state solution to the conflict.
Blinken also said he was working to secure a regional peace deal that would involve Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, which have demanded that Israel end its occupation and settlement of Palestinian lands.
“Iran and its proxies continue to escalate and expand the cycle of violence that we all want to break,” Blinken said at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
“But we will defend our people, and our assets.”
