US airstrike in Baghdad kills militia leader behind attacks on American forces

The U.S. carried out an airstrike in Baghdad on Wednesday targeting a senior leader of an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq that was blamed for attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.

A U.S. official told ABC News that the airstrike was part of the retaliatory actions President Joe Biden authorized last week following the deadly attack on Jan. 28 on the Tower 22 base in Jordan that killed three American soldiers.

“At 9:30 p.m. February 7, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing a Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region,” read the statement.

Read more: ABC News