U.S. launches new round of airstrikes in Iraq | 24 Jan 2024 | The U..S military announced that it has carried out "proportionate" airstrikes against Iranian-backed militants in Iraq to retaliate for recent attacks on American bases in the region. The latest airstrikes targeting Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated militia groups in Iraq were launched just after midnight local time on Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The strikes were aimed at Kataib Hezbollah's headquarters in Iraq, as well as storage and training facilities, and were intended to degrade the group's ability to mount drone and missile attacks. Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen have launched dozens of attacks against U.S. forces in the region since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. The latest of those strikes, which the Pentagon called the largest since the conflict began, came when rockets and missiles were fired at a U.S. air base in western Iraq on Saturday, injuring several American troops.