The US military fired at Iran-backed militants from an AC-130 gunship after they launched a close-range ballistic missile against American forces stationed at al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, according to the Pentagon.
The exchange of fire on Monday was the first time that Iranian-backed groups used such a missile against US forces since a series of attacks began on Oct. 17, Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday. A US AC-130 gunship was in the air at the time of the attack, saw it happen in “real time” and was able to “determine the point of origin,” Singh said.
The aircraft tracked the militants and hit their vehicle in the retaliatory action that resulted in the killing of several fighters, Singh said. The US action wasn’t planned in advance, unlike three previous strikes against Iran-backed groups and facilities in the region, Singh said.
Early Wednesday, American forces carried out two “precision strikes” in Iraq, according to US Central Command. The strikes were in response to attacks, including the firing of the missile, Central Command said in a statement, the command said in a statement.
The number of attacks against Americans and allies in Iraq and Syria has risen to 66 since Oct. 17, with 32 in Iraq and 34 in Syria, Singh said. Several US troops were injured in the attack Monday, she said.
Asked if the continuing strikes by Iranian-backed groups indicate the US has failed to deter such actions, Singh said military officials believe they have taken “appropriate actions so far” but “we always reserve the right to respond at a time and place of our choosing.”
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