https://news.antiwar.com/2023/11/21/us-ac-130-gunship-launches-strikes-in-iraq-casualties-reported/
US AC-130 Gunship Launches Strikes in Iraq, Casualties Reported
CENTCOM claims the people targeted were responsible for an attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase
by Dave DeCamp
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that a US AC-130 gunship launched strikes in Iraq against people allegedly responsible for an earlier missile attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, which houses US troops.
CENTCOM said the strike resulted in “several enemy casualties.” A US official told CNN that the strikes targeted a vehicle and “killed hostile forces,” but it’s unclear how many. The AC-130 can hit targets on the ground with 105mm artillery ammunition.
The US airstrikes in Iraq risk significantly escalating attacks on US forces in the region. As of Monday, US troops in Iraq and Syria have come under attack at least 61 times since October 17 due to President Biden’s full-throated support for the Israeli onslaught in Gaza.
The US has launched three rounds of airstrikes in eastern Syria against Shia militias believed to be responsible for the attacks. The incident on Tuesday marked the first US strikes in Iraq since the attacks on US bases started last month.
The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the Pentagon was aware launching strikes in Iraq could “exacerbate anti-American sentiment” in the country. Many elements in Iraqi politics oppose the US presence, which consists of about 2,500 troops, and the direct US strikes could spark fresh protests.
Leaders of the Shia militias that operate in Iraq and Syria have vowed attacks on US troops will continue until there is a durable ceasefire in Gaza. They might also see the current tensions as an opportunity to drive US forces out of Iraq.