U.S. “working very hard” to peg source of Soleimani birthday strike in Iraq, general says

The rocket strike that killed three coalition troops yesterday in Iraq likely was the work of a Shia militia, the top commander of American forces in the Middle East told Congress today.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, four-star General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, who leads U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers “the Iranian proxy group known as Katib Hezbollah is the only group known to have conducted an indirect fire attack on this scale against the U.S. coalition forces in Iraq.” 

The strike killed two Americans and a coalition-partner national. Some 12 additional coalition personnel were injured in the 18-rocket salvo on Camp Taji, according to a statement from the U.S.-led Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.

As of Thursday morning, no one is known to have claimed responsibility for the attack. Analysts at Central Command are “working very hard” to determine who launched it, McKenzie said.

“Since May 2019,” the commander noted, “Iranian-supported groups in Iraq have attacked U.S. interests dozens of times.” 

The attack came on what would have been Qasem Soleimani's 63rd birthday. The Iranian Quds Force commander was killed Jan. 3 in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport.