Iran-backed militias in Iraq pledge to keep attacking US forces

By AFP 26 January 2024, 6:14 pm

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Members of the Hashed al-Shaabi carry the coffin of a comrade, who died in American airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militia groups the day before, during his funeral at the Hashed al-Shaabi headquarters in Baghdad on January 25, 2024. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)

BAGHDAD — Iran-allied armed groups vow to keep up attacks on US-led coalition forces in Iraq, ahead of imminent talks between Washington and Baghdad on the future of the foreign troops in the country.

Washington has forces in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, but after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war the troops have faced frequent attacks, prompting the US to launch retaliatory strikes in Iraq.

The volatile situation has pushed Iraq’s prime minister — whose government relies on the support of Iran-aligned parties — to call for the coalition to leave.

The United States and Iraq announced Thursday that discussions on the troops were set to start, with Baghdad expecting them to lead to a timeline for reducing the forces.

In a statement on Telegram, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a loose alliance of Iran-linked groups that oppose US support for Israel in the Gaza conflict, says that American agreement to hold the talks is “an attempt to reshuffle the cards… and buy time.”

“The Islamic Resistance’s response will be to continue its operations… against the foreign presence… until their true intentions and the seriousness of their commitment to withdraw their forces are proven,” the group says.