Washington, Dec 9: Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, in a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, condemned a recent attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
Early on Friday, the highly protected Green Zone in central Baghdad came under a rocket attack targeting the US Embassy in the area. No one was reported injured. Al-Sudani called the attack an act of terrorism.
“The Secretary condemned the attack overnight on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as well as the series of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria over recent weeks. He welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement this morning that rightly condemned the attack as ‘acts of terrorism’ that ‘endanger Iraq’s internal security’,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
Maj Gen Ryder said the US secretary of defense stressed that the United States reserves the right to self-defense.
“The Secretary underscored that the United States reserves the right to act in self-defense against those launching any attack against U.S. personnel. He affirmed that the Iranian-backed militant groups Katai’ib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, both designated terrorist organizations, are responsible for most of the attacks against Coalition personnel, and that the United States reserves the right to respond decisively against those groups ? to address threats and attacks against U.S. and Coalition personnel,” according to the statement.
“The Secretary made clear that attacks against U.S. forces must stop,” the Pentagon spokesman said.
(UNI)
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