The deputy pentagon press secretary announced today that a U.S. military AC-130J Ghostrider conducted a self-defense strike against an Iran-backed militant group in response to a ballistic missile attack on Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq, which caused non-serious injuries to U.S. and coalition forces and minor damage to infrastructure on the installation.
According to Sabrina Singh, the AC-130 gunship responded quickly to the attack as it was already in the air at the time of the missile attack, enabling the identification of the origin of the attacks and a timely response.
Since October 17, U.S. forces have been attacked 66 times in both Iraq and Syria, with this being the first time a ballistic missile similar to the one used in this attack has been employed. Singh also mentioned that the recent U.S. response was unplanned, unlike the three pre-planned strikes targeting specific facilities and infrastructure used by militias affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“We always reserve the right to respond at a time and place of our choosing,” stated Singh, emphasizing the U.S. readiness to take appropriate action to address threats posed by the militant groups in Iraq and Syria.
