An attack that targeted a car driving through a road in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, led to the martyrdom of a prominent leader of Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah, martyr Hajj Wisam Mohammed Saber (Abu Baqer al-Saadi), on Wednesday night, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Iraq reported.

The US claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on US service members, killing a Kataib Hezbollah commander.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed that the targeted commander was "responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region." 

USCENTCOM Conducts Strike Killing Kata’ib Hezbollah Senior Leader

At 9:30 p.m. (Baghdad Time) February 7, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing a Kata’ib Hezbollah commander… pic.twitter.com/Zhkjimx5UG

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 7, 2024

Earlier, Iraqi media reported that strikes, possibly launched from a drone, on a car in al-Mashtal area, in Baghdad, led to the martyrdom of three individuals and injured two others. 

In this context, Politico cited two US officials as saying that the US military carried out a drone strike in Iraq on Wednesday, adding that the attack was part of the Biden administration’s response to the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan on Jan. 28.

The Security Media Cell in Iraq announced that a specialized technical team from the security services had begun investigating the incident of targeting a civilian car east of the capital, Baghdad, adding that "the investigation is still ongoing to determine the method and source of the targeting."

Angered by the US aggression, Iraqis gathered at the scene of the attack furiously chanting against the US presence in the region, specifically in Iraq.

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At the scene of the bombing there is anger and rage towards the American military occupation which is butchering Iraqis day and night. pic.twitter.com/tcQa6ANJXt

— ‎أبو سجاد الكربلائي | HST 🇮🇶 (@Twelver313) February 7, 2024

Read more: PMF chief: Iraq should be cleansed from all foreign presence

هتافات شعبية من مكان استشهاد القيادي في كتائب حزب الله في #العراق، أبو باقر الساعدي المعروف بأبي باقر ديالى#بغداد#الميادين pic.twitter.com/Cb5MYKzUAg

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) February 7, 2024

It is worth noting that Kataib Hezbollah is one faction among many others that operate under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The faction announced earlier in late January that it will suspend all of its operations against US forces in the region but will continue to support Palestine in different ways.

The announcement came in a statement released by the group's Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi who said that the decision came to avoid any "embarrassment" to the Iraqi government.

The Secretary-General also commanded the fighters of Kataib Hezbollah to "adopt passive defense (temporarily)" and reactivate action "if any hostile US action occurs against them."

Although the faction did stop targeting US assets in the region, others continued to do so, bombarding several US facilities in Syria and Iraq.

The attack comes after the US killed 16 members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an official branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces, on Saturday, in strikes that concentrated on the city of al-Qaim.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, a Resistance faction in Iraq, Hadi Al-Amiri, told Al Mayadeen, "The price of this pure and noble blood as a result of the treacherous American aggression on Iraq and targeting the positions of the Popular Mobilization [Forces] will be the exit of the occupier at the nearest opportunity."

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