By Timour Azhari
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s Kataeb Hezbollah (KH) militia, a strong armed faction with shut ties to Iran, dismissed U.S. sanctions on the group over assaults in opposition to U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and stated on Saturday such strikes aimed to “drain the enemy”.
The U.S. on Friday issued sanctions in opposition to a number of KH members and in opposition to one other Iran-backed Shiite militia and its secretary-general, accusing them of being concerned in assaults in opposition to america and its companions in Iraq and Syria.
The USA has blamed Iran and militia teams it helps for the greater than 60 assaults since mid-October as regional tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas struggle, which started on Oct. 7. At the least 59 U.S. army personnel have been wounded within the assaults, although all have returned to responsibility thus far.
An announcement on Telegram by Abu Ali Al-Askari, a safety official within the group, on Saturday dismissed the sanctions as “ridiculous,” and stated the measures wouldn’t have an effect on the group’s operations.
“Well-studied strikes by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against enemies, causing losses in their ranks and destroying vehicles or confusing or distracting them, is going according to a strategy to drain the enemy,” the assertion stated.
Amongst these linked to Kataeb Hezbollah focused on Friday are a member of the group’s lead decision-making physique, its international affairs chief, and a army commander the Treasury stated has labored with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to coach fighters.
The U.S. State Division additionally designated militia group Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada and its secretary basic, Abu Ala al-Walai, as Specifically Designated World Terrorists.
In a press release posted on Telegram late on Friday, Walai described the sanctions as “a medal of honour.”
The sanctions freeze any U.S. belongings of these focused and usually bar People from coping with them. Those that have interaction in sure transactions with them additionally threat being hit with sanctions.
The USA has 900 troops in Syria, and a pair of,500 extra in neighboring Iraq, on a mission it says goals to advise and help native forces making an attempt to forestall a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized giant swaths of each nations however was later defeated.
Militia teams in Iraq have linked the latest assaults on U.S. bases to Washington’s help for Israel in its struggle on Gaza, and say the U.S. ought to stop backing Israel’s assault if it needs the assaults to cease.
