Iraqi sources report that joint US-Saudi airstrikes on Nineveh province have killed eight people and wounded four others, according to a report cited by The Zioneer. The strikes expand the ongoing American-led campaign against pro-Iranian militia targets in Iraq.
The Zioneer reported earlier today (Wed 04:55 Jerusalem) that a strike on the Nineveh Plains left multiple wounded, citing analyst Hananel Aviv. New Iraqi reports cited by The Zioneer now specify that the joint US-Saudi airstrikes on Nineveh province have killed eight people and wounded four. This casualty figure emerges as the American-led campaign expands into northern Iraq after CENTCOM confirmed the operation had been extended to include targets in the north (Wed 05:22 Jerusalem).
The story unfolded rapidly Wednesday morning. At 05:22 Jerusalem, analyst Chananel Aviv initially reported Saudi strikes on Shiite militia targets in Baghdad. CENTCOM then confirmed joint US-Saudi strikes on pro-Iranian militia targets in central and southern Iraq, later specifying 30 targets were struck. The operation expanded to include a militia ammunition depot in Basra where one person was killed, and subsequently to northern Iraq. CENTCOM officially described the strikes as targeting logistics and weapons storage sites belonging to IRGC-backed militias, in response to over 30 drone attacks on US forces and Saudi infrastructure in recent months.
The campaign against IRGC-linked terror groups in Iraq is part of a wider US military effort. As The Zioneer has reported, American strikes have also targeted military assets in Iran itself, including strikes across five provinces that killed 14 and wounded 78, and strikes on coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has warned Tehran and its proxies to cease hostilities.
The casualty figures from Nineveh province are based on Iraqi sources and have not been independently verified. The specific targets hit in the Nineveh strikes and the full extent of damage remain unclear. It is also unknown whether the operation is concluded or ongoing.
6 developments
- StrongStrike on Nineveh Plains in Iraq leaves wounded, analyst reports
- StrongIranian state TV reports 8 killed in US strikes on Bandar Abbas and Bushehr
- StrongUS strikes targeted five Iranian provinces, Health Ministry says, confirming 14 dead, 78 wounded
- StrongUS strikes on military base in Isfahan province kill and wound several, deputy governor says
Source and signal
- Open-source intake