US Drone Strike Kills Iran-Backed Militia Leader in Baghdad

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Facts

• US officials confirmed that a precision airstrike against a vehicle in Baghdad on Tuesday killed a leader of the Iran-backed, US-designated terrorist Harakat al-Nujaba group who was targeted for allegedly having 'American blood on his hands.'¹
• This comes as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of primarily Shia militias officially integrated into the Iraqi military, announced that its deputy head of operations in the capital, Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, alias 'Abu Taqwa,' had been killed due to a 'brutal American aggression.'²
• According to the Associated Press, there was a heavy security presence around the location of the strike on Baghdad's Palestine Street. No death toll has been provided yet, but Reuters claimed that four PMF members were killed and six wounded.³
• Meanwhile, AFP reported, citing an Iraqi security official as well as a source within the PMF, that the drone strike on the logistical support headquarters of the alliance also known as Hashed al-Shaabi killed two people and wounded seven others.⁴
• A spokesperson for the al-Nujaba militia told Newsweek in the wake of the strike that Washington must expect a 'very harsh and earth-shattering' response. Last month, its political chief warned that attacks against US troops could escalate to retaliate airstrikes.⁵
• Tensions have mounted in the Middle East since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in October, with more than 100 attacks on the US and its coalition forces in Iraq and Syria. Late last year, the US killed several militants of the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq in response to an attack against its Erbil Air Base.⁶

Sources: ¹Wall Street Journal, ²CBS, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴France 24, ⁵Newsweek and ⁶CNN.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Examiner. Given the fact that Abu Taqwa and his al-Nujaba militia have been responsible for several attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria, this airstrike sought to neutralize him and is fully legitimate. Washington can't and won't refrain from taking action to protect its personnel from any threat they face.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Shafaq News. US-led Global Coalition Forces have outrageously violated their mandate and mission as well as the sovereignty and security of Iraq. This was an unwarranted deadly drone strike against one of the security headquarters in Baghdad. Such an act on par with terrorism can only escalate tensions and undermine understanding between Iraq and the Coalition.

Predictions