Baghdad:

Following US air strikes on militia positions in Iraq and Syria, a spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces said the strikes came as Iraq “strives to ensure stability in the region,” Al Jazeera reported. , citing local media Iraqi News Agency (INA).

“These attacks violate Iraqi sovereignty, undermine the efforts of the Iraqi government, and are a threat that will plunge Iraq and the region into adverse consequences, the consequences of which will have dire consequences for the security and stability of Iraq and the region.”, INA quoted a spokesperson as saying.

At the same time, Syrian state media accused “U.S. aggression” of attacking areas in the Syrian desert and areas around the border between Syria and Iraq, causing many casualties, Al Jazeera reported.

Last week, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Alliance, made up of militias including Kataib Hezbollah and Al-Nujaba, claimed responsibility for the drone strike. The attack killed three U.S. military personnel and wounded many others at a base in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said in a statement that the United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East but “if you harm Americans, we will respond.”

“Last Sunday, three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan by drones launched by militant groups backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Earlier today, I attended the funeral of these brave Americans at Dover Air Force Base. Dignity returned and I spoke with each of their families,” Biden said.

“This afternoon, at my direction, U.S. forces attacked targets in Iraq and Syria used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliated militias to attack U.S. forces. Our response begins today. It will continue at a time and place of our choosing proceed,” he added.

“The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let anyone who might try to harm us know this: If you harm Americans, we will respond,” the US president also said.

U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers were involved in Friday’s airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, a defense official told CNN.

The B-1 is a long-range heavy bomber capable of deploying precision and non-precision weapons.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there would be a multi-layered response, saying: “We have the ability to respond multiple times depending on the situation.” According to CNN, the U.S. government recognizes Iran-backed militias capabilities of the organization, but claims that its ability to respond effectively is greater.

“They have a lot of capabilities. I have a lot more,” Austin said of the Iranian-backed militias.

On Sunday, Iranian-backed militants launched a drone attack on a U.S. military post in Jordan, killing three U.S. service members and injuring more than 40 others.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)