Members of an Iraqi Shiite militant group carry the coffin of a fighter with the Kataib Hezbollah militia, who was killed in a US airstrike in Babil Province, during his funeral in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec 26, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

WASHINGTON / BAGHDAD - US forces conducted unilateral strikes on Tuesday against facilities used by an Iranian-backed militia group in Iraq, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

CENTCOM said in a post on X that the strikes were carried out at 12:15 am Wednesday Iraq time, targeting three facilities used by the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq.

The strikes were in response to KH's recent attacks, including the attack on al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq on Jan 20, CENTCOM said.

The drone attack is the latest of the armed group's retaliation actions against the US forces amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip, according to the statement

"These strikes targeted KH headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack (unmanned aerial vehicle) capabilities," the command said. 

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Separately, two explosive-laden drones were shot down Tuesday by the air defense system at the Ayn al-Asad Airbase which houses US troops in the western Iraqi province of Anbar.

An Iraqi army officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the drones were shot down in the evening while attacking the airbase near the town of al-Baghdadi, some 190 km northwest of the capital Baghdad, without causing casualties.

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The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iraqi Shiite militia, claimed responsibility for launching two booby-trapped drones toward the airbase.

The militia said in an online statement that its fighters had launched "two separate drone attacks" on the Ayn al-Asad Airbase, stressing that it will continue its attacks on the US bases.

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The drone attack is the latest of the armed group's retaliation actions against the US forces amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip, according to the statement.

On Saturday, about 20 rockets were launched toward the Ayn al-Asad Airbase. Most of the rockets were shot down except for one rocket that landed on an empty area inside the base, according to an Iraqi military source.

A soldier was wounded by the shrapnels of the rockets that were intercepted by the air defense system and exploded in the air, according to the source.