The US has confirmed that it used a hellfire missile equipped with six long blades to kill a senior leader of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shia militia group, in Baghdad last week, in a rare and controversial operation that has raised tensions in the region.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Monday that it conducted a “precision strike” on January 28 against Abu Baqir al-Saadi, the commander of Syrian operations for Kataib Hezbollah, who was responsible for planning and executing attacks against US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.
The statement said that al-Saadi was killed by a modified version of the AGM-114R9X Hellfire missile, which is also known as the “flying Ginsu” or the “ninja bomb”, because it replaces the explosive warhead with six blades that extend from the body of the missile and slice through the target.
The statement said that the missile was designed to minimize collateral damage and civilian casualties, and that it was used to “eliminate a terrorist who presented a clear and imminent threat”.
The statement did not mention any other casualties from the strike, but Arabic language media reports and Iranian sources said that the strike also killed Arkan al-Alawi, another senior Kataib Hezbollah official, who was in the same vehicle as al-Saadi.
The strike was the first US attack on Kataib Hezbollah since January 2020, when the US killed the group’s founder and leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike near Baghdad airport, which sparked a major escalation and a series of retaliatory attacks between the US and Iran and their allies.
The strike was also the first US attack on Iraqi soil since President Joe Biden took office, and it came amid ongoing negotiations and consultations between the US and Iraq over the future of the US military presence and role in the country.
Authorized by Biden
The strike was reportedly authorized by Biden himself, after he received intelligence and recommendations from his national security team, and after he consulted with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who gave his approval and support for the operation.
The strike was in retaliation for a drone attack on January 24, which targeted a remote desert outpost in Jordan, where US and coalition forces were training and advising local forces, and which killed three US soldiers and wounded several others.
The US blamed Kataib Hezbollah for the drone attack, which was the first of its kind in the region, and which demonstrated the group’s growing capabilities and reach.
Kataib Hezbollah is one of the most powerful and active Iranian-backed Shia militia groups in Iraq, and it is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-sponsored umbrella organization that includes dozens of armed factions that fought against the Islamic State (IS) group.
Kataib Hezbollah has been involved in several attacks and clashes with US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as in supporting the Syrian regime and the Lebanese Hezbollah in their war against the rebels and the opposition.
Kataib Hezbollah has also been accused of human rights violations and abuses, such as kidnapping, torturing, and killing civilians, activists, and journalists, and of undermining the sovereignty and the stability of Iraq and the region.
The strike has drawn mixed reactions and responses from different parties and stakeholders in Iraq and the region.
The Iraqi government and the PMF have condemned the strike as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and an act of aggression, and they have called for an investigation and accountability.
The Iranian government and the Lebanese Hezbollah have also denounced the strike as a crime and a provocation, and they have vowed to avenge the deaths of their allies and to continue their resistance against the US and Israel.
The US allies and partners in the region, such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have welcomed the strike as a necessary and justified action, and they have expressed their solidarity and support for the US and its efforts to combat terrorism and to protect its interests and security.
The Iraqi people and the civil society have also had different views and opinions on the strike, with some praising the US for eliminating a dangerous and notorious figure, and with others criticizing the US for interfering and escalating the situation in their country.
The strike has also raised questions and concerns about the implications and the consequences of the strike for the US-Iraq relations and the regional dynamics, and about the prospects and the challenges of the dialogue and the diplomacy between the US and Iran and their allies, which are expected to resume in the coming weeks and months.
The strike has also highlighted the role and the importance of the US intelligence and the military capabilities and technologies, such as the “flying Ginsu” missile, which are used to conduct targeted assassinations and to eliminate high-value targets, and which are seen by some as a precise and effective tool, and by others as a controversial and dangerous weapon.
The strike has also shown the complexity and the volatility of the situation and the conflict in Iraq and the region, which are affected by multiple factors and actors, and which require a comprehensive and coordinated approach and a long-term and sustainable solution.
