US Central Command launches retaliatory airstrikes on Hezbollah military bases in Iraq.

On January 24, 2024, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had conducted airstrikes against facilities used by the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia group in Iraq. This action was in response to previous attacks attributed to KH, including one on the al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq on January 20.
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Following a series of incidents involving Kataib Hezbollah (KH), including a missile attack on US military bases, US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles targeted multiple Hezbollah military bases. (Picture source: US CENTCOM)

The strikes were initiated following a series of incidents involving Kataib Hezbollah (KH), including a missile attack on US military bases. In retaliation, US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles targeted multiple sites across Eastern Syria and Western Iraq. The US strikes focused on three specific sites associated with KH and other Iran-affiliated groups, including their headquarters, storage facilities, and training centers for rocket, missile, and UAV capabilities.

One of the targeted sites was a KH military base in Jurf Al-Nasr, Iraq, known for storing a large cache of rockets and ballistic missiles, leading to several secondary explosions. Further strikes targeted at least six bases in the Al-Anbar and Babylon provinces of Iraq, which were linked to the IRGC's Kataib Hezbollah, with the aim of degrading their operational capabilities.

In response to the US military's actions, Abu Ala al-Walai, Secretary General of Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, a radical Iraqi Shia militia affiliated with Hezbollah, criticized the strikes. He called for increased actions against US and Israeli targets, including a blockade of Israeli shipping in the Mediterranean Sea and attacks on Israeli ports, indicating a potential escalation in hostilities.

The Pentagon, represented by Secretary Lloyd Austin, described the US military strikes as "necessary and proportionate," aimed at preventing further attacks against US troops and ensuring their safety. These operations occurred within the context of increased attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria, marking a rise in hostilities that had been relatively infrequent before the recent escalation in the Gaza Strip.

Simultaneously, tensions escalated as Hezbollah recently launched an attack on an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) air traffic control base in Meron, northern Israel. This attack resulted in slight damage but no casualties and was claimed by Hezbollah as retaliation against alleged Israeli actions in Lebanon and Syria. Following this, the IDF strengthened its defensive measures at sensitive locations and conducted retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah and Iranian positions in Lebanon.