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Saudi Arabia condemns attacks on US forces in Iraq
Riyadh, Dec 31 (AFP) Dec 31, 2019
Saudi Arabia voiced "great concern" Tuesday over attacks against American forces in Iraq, which Washington has blamed on pro-Iran factions, state media reported.

"Saudi Arabia has followed with great concern the increase of terrorist attacks inside brotherly Iraq... the most recent of which were attacks by terrorist militias supported by the Iranian regime against US forces present in Iraq," the Saudi Press Agency said, citing an unnamed official source.

"Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces these terrorist attacks... These attacks committed by terrorist militias violate the sovereignty of Iraq and affect its security and stability."

In recent weeks multiple attacks have targeted Iraqi bases where American forces are present, which Washington has blamed on pro-Iran factions.

On Sunday, the US-led air strikes were directed at several bases belonging to the Hezbollah Brigades, one of the most radical factions of Hashed al-Shaabi, a Tehran-backed Iraqi paramilitary coalition.

The strikes "killed 25 and wounded 51," according to the Hashed, which holds major sway in Iraq.

The attack was in retaliation for the death Friday of a US civilian contractor in Kirkuk in a Hezbollah Brigades rocket attack.

Riyadh is a key ally of US President Donald Trump's administration against what both countries describe as Iranian expansionism in the Middle East.

Riyadh and Washington have blamed Iran for September 14 drone strikes that targeted two Saudi oil facilities, temporarily knocking out half of the kingdom's oil production.

In a phone call on Monday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "agreed that the Iranian regime and its proxies continue to be a destabilizing force in the region and that nations have a right to defend themselves in the face of these threats," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

Pompeo "underscored that attacks by the Iranian regime, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies, or our interests will be answered with a decisive response, as demonstrated yesterday."

Iraq's government denounced Sunday's strikes and warned they could affect ties with Washington.

burs-ac/fz


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