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Officials in Iraq are reporting that recent US airstrikes in the region have resulted in significant casualties, including both militants and civilians, with over 100 bombs dropped across Iraq and Syria.
This military action, ordered by President Joe Biden amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, targeted more than 85 locations using a combination of aircraft, including long-range bombers, and deployed over 125 precision munitions, according to US Central Command.

The strikes have led to the death of 16 Iraqis, including civilians, as detailed by Baghdad officials. Similarly, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has attributed the deaths of 23 militia fighters in Syria to the US bombing campaign. The Syrian Defense Ministry acknowledged casualties among militants and civilians but did not specify numbers. Both Baghdad and Damascus have condemned the US actions, especially in light of a drone attack near Jordan’s Syrian border that killed three American soldiers, prompting Biden’s vow for retaliation against Iranian-linked targets.
Despite the White House not obtaining Congressional authorization for these operations and admitting the lack of direct evidence connecting Tehran to the Jordanian strike, the mission proceeded without reportedly affecting Iranian forces. An Iranian officer’s death in Syria, presumed to be from an Israeli airstrike before the US operation, was noted separately.
National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby characterized the strikes as attempts to reduce regional tension. Nevertheless, The Islamic Resistance of Iraq and other Shia militias responded with attacks on US soldier bases, continuing a cycle of violence that has been partly attributed to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.