Coalition’s presence in region threatens Iraq’s security – Iraqi PM
DAMSCUS, Syria (North Press) – The presence of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat Islamic State (ISIS) in the region threatens the security and stability of Iraq, Office of Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, said on Saturday.
“The presence of the U.S.-led military coalition in the region has become a reason for threatening security and stability in Iraq and a justification for involving Iraq in regional and international conflicts,” the office said in a statement.
The statement added that 16 individuals, including civilians, were killed, and 25 others were injured in overnight U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed targets in Iraq.
The strikes come in response to a drone attack that targeted the U.S. base of Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border on Jan. 28, killing three U.S. service members and injuring over 40 others.
On Friday, the White House announced that the U.S. has informed Iraq before conducting airstrikes in three sites linked to Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
The prime minister’s office, on the other hand, refuted any coordination and dismissed such claims as “lies.” It described the airstrikes as a “new aggression against Iraq’s sovereignty.”