Launching Counterattacks In Iraq And Syria, US President Joe Biden: Attacks Will Continue

The drone (unmanned aerial vehicle/UAV) CH-6 (Xinhua via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The United States government has begun to launch a wave of airstrikes against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)- Iran-backed Quds Troops and militias in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the suicide drone attack that killed three US troops in Jordan.

The drone strike killed three US troops and injured at least 34 others on Sunday in Tower 22, a remote military installation in Jordan near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.

The US has officially blamed an Iranian-backed militia group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The group also claimed responsibility.

Iran-backed militias have carried out drone and missile attacks on US troop positions in Jordan for months amid an ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The death toll on Sunday was the first to be as a result of the attack and most of the other attacks were intercepted or resulted in minor injuries to US troops.

According to Central Command (CENTCOM) in a statement, the attack was carried out with a number of aircraft, including long-range bombers launched from the US. Overall, more than 85 targets were fired with more than 125 precision ammunition.

"The targeted facilities include command and control centers as well as intelligence centers, rocket storage sites, missiles and drones, logistics and ammunition supply chain facilities of the IRGC militia group and sponsors facilitating attacks on US troops and the Coalition," according to CENTCOM.

The IRGC-Quds troops are the external operations division of the corps. According to US President Joe Biden, the attack was only the beginning of the US response.

"The attack will continue at the time and place we choose," Biden said in a statement.

"The United States does not want conflict in the Middle East or anywhere in the world. But let everyone who wants to hurt us know this: If you hurt Americans, we will reply."

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday he had decided how to respond to a drone strike on Sunday, but gave no details.

While stressing that he did not intend to create a "wider war in the Middle East", Biden said he thought Iran was responsible "in the sense that they were supplying weapons to the people who carried out the attack."

Iran pledged on Wednesday expressly that it would respond to any attacks targeting its territory or interests.

Meanwhile, Iran's official news agency, IRNA reported that Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations warned that Tehran would respond firmly to any attacks on territory, interests, or nationals beyond their borders.